Better Broken
by Ellipsis the Great
Summary: Sometimes, rules aren’t meant to be followed, and promises shouldn’t be kept. Seiner. COMPLETED!
1. Prologue: The Big Six

Better Broken Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M just in case.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Definite yaoi on the horizon, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Prologue: The Big Six

"_Don't know what's going on, don't know what went wrong, feels like a hundred years I still can't believe you're gone. So I'll stay up all night with these bloodshot eyes, while these walls surround me with the story of our life." –Three Days Grace 'Gone Forever'_

Say what you will about me, but it's a little known fact that I, Seifer Almasy, know Hayner March better than anyone.

It's not an opinion, though many would argue against it (Roxas Doyle, Hayner's best friend, especially). And it's not like I _tried_ to get to know the little chickenwuss, but after nearly fifteen years of fighting with him I was bound to know a lot (read: too much) about him…if only to be able to piss him off even more and even better.

On that note, I know that there are certain _rules_ when it comes to goading Hayner:

Rule #1: Never say goodbye to Hayner. It's the first rule that people pick up on, and the only one that _everyone_ follows, no matter what. When you bid Hayner farewell, you always say 'See you later' or something to that effect. Never 'goodbye'.

Rule #2: Never mention Hayner's father. Ever. This one isn't as obvious, although everyone subconsciously knows about it. Most people are more self-conscious about not mentioning the man (deserter, trust-abuser, _bastard_) around Hayner's mother, who's prone to bursting into hysteric tears after just hearing a name that _sounds_ like his. Less people notice how quiet and pale Hayner gets when his father comes up in conversation (not that it happens often now, twelve years after the fact). I'm one of the few.

Rule #3: When Hayner says 'Mama,' pick a fight with him. This rule is one that only I know about or follow, although Fuu always goes along with it (Rai does, too, but that's just because he goes along with everything I do). She's learned to make more cutting (albeit still one-worded) comments when she notices that I'm actively going out of my way to piss Hayner off. I've never felt the need to explain to her that Hayner only ever says 'Mama' when he and his mother have had a fight earlier on in the day (he usually calls her 'Mom'). This, inevitably, means that when Hayner gets home the fighting will pick up again and usually escalate into something physical. By picking a fight, I not only keep him out of his house longer, I also manage to land a few hits that have Hayner going to the Usual Spot to get doctored by Olette—thus keeping him away from his volatile mother even longer. If all went well, Hayner wouldn't make it home until his mother had gone to bed, and she would have slept off her rage by the next morning.

Rule #4: Watch where you hit Hayner. Another that only I know about, and probably one that only I am _able_ to follow. It only comes into effect after one of the 'Mama' days, but those happen often enough for it to be a viable Rule. After Hayner's mother gets physical with him, he makes certain movements that tell me where he's been hit; little habitual flinches or jerks that let me know—his mom hit his shoulder last night, threw something at his stomach, kicked his side…really hard…

Rule #5: Always let Hayner break out of headlocks without too much of a fuss. This one is probably one of the hardest to follow—it's easy to pass off the others as natural things. Not so easy to let Hayner break away from the (suffocating, stifling, constricting) arm I've placed around his neck without anyone (especially Hayner) catching on to it. It's also impossible for me _not_ to put Hayner in a headlock, a fact I discovered after a week of forcing myself not to do it. Hayner's a proud kid, and smarter than I sometimes like. He actually figured out what I was doing and _yelled at me _about it. He even tried to avoid me for a while, and I let him do it until I caught sight of a particularly nasty bruise peeking out of his collar. I started a fight that lasted for nearly five hours the next time I heard him say 'Mama.' And don't ask me how we managed it—I'm just that damn good, okay?

Rule #6 (the most important one, I figure): If any of Rules 1-3 are broken, don't hold anything back (sans anything regarding Rule 5) in the next fight. Hayner always has an excess of built-up tension to get rid of when someone says 'goodbye' or mentions his dad on accident, and especially after his mother has beat on him. Hayner would never lay a hand on his mother, except to try and calm her down, but that doesn't mean he doesn't get pissed at her. He knows, to an extent, that what his mother does is wrong. He needs a big, nasty, explosive fight to help blow off steam. And this rule is as much for me as it is for Hayner; I always get frustrated with myself when I accidentally break one of my own rules.

Those are the Big Six—the biggest rules to follow when dealing with Hayner, though there are a few others that I don't adhere to quite as closely (don't insult Hayner's mother, don't let Hayner's friends distract you from a fight with Hayner, don't talk to Hayner civilly unless he's civil first…).

I _hate_ the Big Six. Hate having to censor every word that comes out of my mouth. Hate having to soften my punches. Hate Hayner's mother.

_Loathe_ Hayner's father.

If it wasn't for _that man_, I would never have had to come up with the Big Six. Would never have seen Hayner as anything more as just another kid that annoys the piss out of me. Would never have seen Hayner as someone to protect, in my own sick little way.

Would never have seen Hayner cry.

It's not like I _want_ to follow the Big Six. I don't. I would _love_ to be able to beat the ever-loving snot out of Hayner for the simple reason that he looked at me the wrong way, instead of because I want to keep him from getting the snot beaten out of him by his own mother.

But even more than that, I _never_ want to see Hayner cry again.

Maybe it sounds sappy, or romantic, or something, but it's not. When a seven-year-old kid bursts into tears because he's finally realized that his father (sperm donor, tormentor, the origin of his suffering) has left him for good, it's not sappy or romantic or _anything_ except sad.

And maybe I kind of feel like it's my own fault for seeing him like that, and that's part of what makes me do all of this stuff for him.

I'm _not_ being dramatic, either. I—

Never mind. Let me start at the beginning.

The beginning is eleven years ago. I was eight, Hayner was seven. Hayner's dad had run off with some whore a year earlier, but Hayner's mom hadn't yet had her mental breakdown. In fact, she worked at my parents' restaurant as a waitress, which is how Hayner and I met. She worked afternoons, so every day after school Hayner walked down to the restaurant. It seemed only natural after a while for us to start walking together, since we were coming from and going to the same place. We got along okay—bickered a lot, sure, but it was mostly teasing. We hadn't become rivals just yet.

And every day when we arrived, like clockwork, Hayner would ask the same question.

"Mama, when's Dad coming home?"

She always found a reason to go into the back of the restaurant where he couldn't follow (it was against policy); an excuse to get away from him.

But Hayner never took offense—never caught on to the fact that she was avoiding him and the question. He would just turn to my mom, and ask:

"Mrs. Dincht," My real father had left before I was born, and Mom had married my stepfather, Zell Dincht, when I was about four. "Do _you_ know when my dad's coming home?"

She would smile—a sad smile that always confused me, because I was kind of curious about Hayner's dad, too, and also didn't understand what was going on. At that age, your parents are still infallible; they don't just up and leave you.

"I don't know, sweetie. Maybe tomorrow?" She would suggest gently, then send us outside to play (tease, fight, squabble).

On the day in question I had left school ahead of Hayner, who had gotten a detention for something or other (probably forgetting his homework, if I know Hayner). I had shrugged my backpack off in my usual corner booth, and was going back to tell my folks that I was here and to tell Hayner's mom why he was late.

"The boys will be here soon, Deidra." My mom was saying. I paused in the doorway. "You need to pull yourself together."

"H-he's not coming back." Deidra, Hayner's mom, cried. "He's n-never coming back. What am I supposed to do without him? What about Hayner? I c-c-can't…I d-don't…oh, God…"

"It'll work out alright, dear." Mom said. "You know you and Hayner are always welcome here. We'll help you get through this."

"But he'll…he'll ask. He'll ask about his father, just like he always does! How am I supposed to tell him that his dad _left_ us for some filthy whore? How am I supposed to tell him that he's not coming back?" Deidra sobbed.

"You'll just have to tell him, sweetie." Mom's voice was only slightly sympathetic. "You should have told him a long time ago—I told you to tell him sooner."

"I thought he would come back! He always comes back! Always…always…"

"Well, he's not coming back this time." Her voice became stern. "Now you, Deidra March, are going to pull yourself together this instant. You have a little boy to take care of, and you have to do it by yourself from now on. I'll help—you know I'll help—but you have to help yourself, too. You don't have time to wallow in self-pity."

"I can't…I can't…"

I didn't stay to listen to any more of it. I don't know why, but I had just gotten _so angry_. Maybe I had picked up on my mother's anger.

Why didn't anyone ever tell us kids what was going on? They just let us keep believing whatever we wanted until it was too late to break it to us gently, and by then it only hurt us worse. Why would she let Hayner keep believing his dad was coming back? Why did _she_ believe he was going to come back? And why did _Hayner_ still believe he was coming back?

It was hard for me to understand. My dad, gruff though he was, had never left Mom and me. Had Deidra done something wrong? Had Hayner? I think the concept of a father leaving his family might have scared me. What if I did something wrong and my dad left? What had happened that would make a man leave his family?

"Hey, Seifer!" Hayner said as he entered the restaurant, as sunny as ever in spite of the detention he had just gotten out of. "Where's Mama?" His mother was always up front to greet him, even if she didn't stay long. "Is she with Dad?"

"No, she's not with your dad. She's in the back." I growled.

"What's wrong with _you_?" He asked, rolling his eyes. "Hey, do you think he'll come home tomorrow? I really miss him. And maybe he'll take us fishing! I bet he'll take Roxas and Pence, too. Wouldn't that be cool?"

"Your dad isn't coming back, Hayner!" I said. "He's _never_ coming back! Quit being stupid!"

Hayner just stared at me for a moment. Then he laughed uncertainly. "Y-you're the one being stupid, Seifer. Of course Dad's coming back. He always comes back; Mama said so."

"She was _lying_! Your dad _left you_, Hayner!"

"Shut up!" He yelled. "Shut up, Seifer! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yeah I do! I heard your mom say it! Your dad left you and he isn't coming back!"

"Shut up!" He threw himself at me, fists flying.

"Hayner! Seifer!" Mom finally came out from the room in the back, grabbing our collars and dragging us apart. My mom is the strongest woman I know, literally and figuratively. "Boys, what's wrong? Why are you fighting?"

"Seifer said Dad's not coming back!" Hayner snarled. "Tell him he is! He is! Mama said he always comes back!"

My mom jerked a little, looking at me with an expression that told me she knew what I had heard. She set us down, kneeling beside Hayner and putting a hand on his bruising cheek.

"Hayner, sweetie, your daddy…he _isn't_ coming back." She said gently. "He sent your mom the divorce papers…do you understand what that means?"

"Mama said he would come back." Hayner whimpered.

"Oh, sweetie, your mom thought he would come back. But she was wrong."

"Did I…did I do something wrong? Is that why won't he come back?" Hayner asked, his eyes filling with tears.

"Oh, no, sweetie." She hugged him. "You didn't do _anything_ wrong. Sometimes…sometimes mommies and daddies just…don't love each other anymore. So…one of them leaves."

"Doesn't he love _me_ anymore?" The tears had started to fall, now.

"Of course he still loves you, sweetie. Your daddy will _always_ love you."

"But then…why won't he come back? Can't he come back and see me? If he still loves me, I don't…I don't understand why he won't come back."

"I don't understand either, sweetie. But it isn't because of you, do you understand? You haven't done _anything_ wrong. Your daddy's just…just being silly."

Hayner shook his head, breaking down completely. His legs went limp, so that Mom's arms were the only things keeping him from falling down on the floor.

"Hayner, I'm…sorry." I said, surprisingly without any prompting. For some reason, it hurt to watch him cry. "I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry."

Hayner just shook his head again, his sobs escalating. "Mama?" He was asking suddenly. "Where's Mama? Where is she? Did she leave me, too? She always comes out to say hello!"

"Shh, she's in the back. She's upset, too." Mom stood, picking him up. "Come on, I'll take you to her. She's not going anywhere. She'll take you home, okay? That's probably best right now."

She went to the back and gave him to his mom, who gathered her things and thanked Mom for letting her have the day off.

"Bye, Hayner." I called after him.

The look he gave me was frightening.

"See you later, Seifer." He said. He _insisted_.

I nodded vigorously. "See you later." Anything to make him stop looking at me like that.

He settled back down in his mother's arms, and then started to cry again.

Rule #1: Never say goodbye to Hayner.

End Prologue


	2. Silence Isn't Golden

Hayner was quiet that day Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M just in case.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Definite yaoi on the horizon, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter One: Silence Isn't Golden

"_You shouldn't have to pay for your love with your bones and your flesh." –Pat Benatar, 'Hell is for Children'_

Hayner was quiet that day. Actually, his entire posse was kind of quiet, but he was even worse than the rest of them.

Olette treaded carefully around him, always touching him in that gently comforting way of hers. Pence was awkward, like he didn't know exactly what to say, or if he _did_ know that he didn't know how to say it. Roxas glared at anyone and everyone—including that weird boyfriend of his, Axel—like he was daring someone to push him. And Hayner…

Hayner wasn't acting like himself at all. His back stayed hunched when he was walking instead of straight and full of himself like he usually was, and when he sat he curled around his desk in an awkward position that couldn't have been at all comfortable.

And then, sometime around lunch, he disappeared.

The rest of his quartet sat around one of the picnic tables that were set up outside the cafeteria, so I ditched Rai and Fuu and walked toward them.

"Oi, dweeboids, where's the chickenwuss?" I demanded when they looked up at me.

"Which one, jackass?" Roxas asked, scowling at me.

"Oh, lemme think about that—you're here, fat boy's here, and annoying chick is here…which chickenwuss am I looking for?" I asked, my voice practically oozing sarcasm.

"Why do _you_ want to know?" Olette asked, crossing her arms over her chest. As wimpy as the girl usually looked, that stance would've made a lesser man tremble.

I held up a paper bag. "Mom made him lunch again since it's near the end of the month and money's always thin for him then."

"And how would _you_ know that?" Pence asked, sounding surprised.

I rolled my eyes. "I know because Mom knows, and Mom knows because Hayner comes to the restaurant every afternoon. Keep the fuck up, chicken shit."

"Whatever." Pence said, resting his head back on the table.

"Look, we don't know where he is. He just…walked off after class let out, okay?" Olette said.

"If you find him, lemme know so I can kick him." Roxas said. "He's been in a shitty-ass mood all day and it's pissing me off."

"So you don't know what's wrong with him?" I asked.

"If I knew, I sure as hell wouldn't be asking _you_ for anything." Roxas replied shortly.

"Right." I snorted, and walked away without another word, feeling my anger rise.

It was time to search the school.

And yes, my mom really had made lunch for him, and it was for the reason that I'd given the goons. And yes, that was a large part of why I was searching for him.

When Mom gives you a job to do, you do it. Or you die. Slowly.

The first place I checked was the roof—most kids go up there when they want to be alone. The school even had to fence the place off to deter jumpers (I say deter because the really resolute ones just climb the fence). But he wasn't there, and no one was screaming and calling an ambulance, so he hadn't jumped, either.

I'm not saying Hayner had ever been suicidal, because he wasn't, really. But sometimes he could go to a really bad place (thanks to his dumbass whore of a mother), and sometimes a rash decision— for which Hayner's famous—can be the last decision someone makes.

Then I went to another good alone-time place—the library. Hayner usually avoided it, but _most _people avoided it, so when you wanted peace and quiet it was a good place to go. I considered doing things the old-fashioned way, but settled for asking a librarian and then yelling 'LAMER!' at the top of my lungs when she said she hadn't seen him. And since he didn't come scrambling out of the woodwork to try and kick my ass (emphasis on the word _try_), I didn't much mind getting kicked out.

That's when I decided to try the bathroom. All ten of them, most of which were on opposite hallways of several different floors. Luckily, I decided to try the most out of the way bathroom first.

And wouldn't you know it, I could hear him sniffling in the last stall. You know the ridiculously big one that they have to put in for handicapped kids? Not that I have anything against handicapped kids, I just think it's stupid to put one in when we don't even have an elevator so they don't have to use the stairs. The school just made sure all of their classes were on the bottom floor, and moved some teachers around when necessary.

Cheap bastards, I know.

I also know I'm getting off subject.

"Yo, chickenwuss, that you?" I asked.

No answer, but the noises stopped.

That meant 'yes,' for those of you who don't know 'depressed-Hayner-speak.'

"Mom made lunch for you—why in the hell are you way the fuck over here instead of in the cafeteria? I had to go all over the friggin' school looking for you, you damn lamer." I said as I walked down to the last stall.

"Go the fuck away." He snapped, his voice strangely flat for someone who'd just been crying.

"Come out of the stall and get the fucking lunch."

"Just leave it." He said.

"No fucking way. Mom's gonna ask about you, and if I tell her I left you crying in a bathroom stall she'll freak out, kill me, and then tear apart the town looking for you and making sure you're alright. You _know_ how she gets."

He let out an odd sound that was half-amused snort and half-annoyed groan.

"Just tell her I'm fine." He said.

"She'll know I'm lying." I said. "And then she'll be even worse than in the previous scenario. Just get the fuck out here."

"_No_."

I knelt beside the stall. "You think I won't climb under here, chickenwuss? Because I will, and when I do I'll be royally ticked that I had to crawl all over this nasty-ass…floor…"

The weird, trailed off ending was because I had just seen blood drip to the floor.

"Lamer, what in the _hell_ are you doing in there?" I asked, banging my fist against the stall door. "Did somebody punch you? Why the fuck are you bleeding?"

"It's none of your fucking business, Seifer!" He said.

"Oh, hell no." I said, standing and ramming my shoulder into the door. It rattled on its rusty hinges, and finally broke off when I ran into it again.

And, just as I'd feared (yes, feared), Hayner was sitting on the john, looking up at me with his all-too-wide eyes with a razor held to the wrist he always wore that stupid arm band on.

"What in the fucking hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded, grabbing the arm with the razor. "What the fuck is this?"

"What the fuck do you care?" He retorted, trying to pull away from me. "You fucking hate me, remember?"

"I don't care who in the fuck you are, chickenwuss, or what in the fuck I do or don't feel for you." I growled. "You're gonna fucking tell me why in the fuck you're doing this or I'm gonna ram this razor so far up your ass you'll cut yourself every time you wipe your fucking nose."

"Well that makes things a lot easier." He drawled.

I grabbed his collar and pulled him to his feet, our faces a mere inch apart. "I'm not fucking kidding, lamer. Tell me what in the fuck is going on before I call my mom on you—and you know she'll make anything I could do to you look like a Struggle match between Vivi and that fat shit you hang out with."

"Don't call Pence that." He said.

"Answer my fucking question and I won't." I snarled.

He opened his mouth to answer, then snapped it closed again as we heard the bathroom door creak open. I set him down and stepped out of the stall, turning my fiercest glare onto some kid with a mohawk and a weird looking guitar-like instrument.

"I'm trying to have a fucking conversation here, just get the hell out before I make you eat that fucking piece of shit instrument." I growled.

The kid's eyes got big as he immediately turned on his heel and ran off.

I whipped back around to face Hayner. "You were saying?"

"Mama's new boyfriend left." He looked away from me, like all of a sudden the fiery part of him that was the biggest part of why people loved and hated him had been sucked out of him. He had a light bruise on his cheek that made me wish I hadn't been taught not to hit girls.

"Yeah, and? That happens a lot." I said.

"And this time it's my fault." He said. "I…I made him leave."

"Good; he was an ass." I said. "Why does that make you want to cut yourself?"

"Because Mama…I mean, it was my fault he left." He said, his voice getting smaller and smaller as he spoke.

He seemed to be shrinking, too; he already seemed half his size. Like he was afraid of me. Like he thought I would beat him.

And while I might beat up on him, I have never, _ever_ beat Hayner March. I wouldn't beat on someone who didn't beat back.

I pursed my lips together, almost not wanting to ask my next question. "Why is it your fault that he left?"

"Because I…I didn't stop him. And…and he…"

My expression darkened as I grabbed his chin and made him look at me. "Was that sorry bastard beating you?"

"No…n-no…" He said slowly. "Not…not exactly?"

"Well then what exactly was he doing to you?"

"He was…touching me." He said, squeezing his eyes shut and turning his face away from me as much as he could with me still holding it.

"Where?" I could feel the color draining out of my face.

"E-everywhere." He whispered. "And…and he told Mama that…that he realized he…he likes b-boys, not girls, so he…he left. And he tried to take me with him, but I wouldn't go. And Mama's so, so angry with me, Seifer, she…she's…God, she's so angry."

"Shit." I cursed. That sick bastard had better hope I didn't run into him any time soon (read: ever).

"I didn't mean to do it." He said. "But I…I just froze up, and…I didn't know what to do."

"Did you tell your mom about this?"

"_He_ did." He said. "Only he made it sound like I wanted it, and I…I _didn't_ want it, Seifer, I swear I didn't, but Mama doesn't believe me."

"I know, Hayner. You don't have to explain yourself to me." I said.

And I did know, sort of. Fuu had been molested by her dad when she was younger, so I had at least heard about this stuff before. She didn't talk about it much…not that she talked about anything much.

"Actually, I'm lying." I said with a scowl, holding the razor up again. "Explain _this_ to me, lamer."

And wouldn't you know it, he chose _then_ to remember that he hated me.

"Why should I?" He asked, rearing up suddenly.

"Because I fucking said so, chickenwuss."

"Yeah? Well fuck you, Seifer! Fuck. You." He said, punching me.

I jerked back more from surprise than pain—I was used to being punched, so I'd gotten used to that part—and had only just recovered when he pushed past me and fled from the bathroom, stopping only to grab some paper towels to wrap around his wrist.

I cursed under my breath, fingering my busted lip gingerly.

When I went to my next class after lunch was over, Hayner was smiling and laughing with Roxas as if nothing had happened, but when he didn't come to the restaurant that afternoon I knew he was still upset.

"How was Hayner when you gave him his lunch?" Mom asked as we washed dishes after the dinner rush.

I paused for a moment before shaking my head, looking at the dish I was scrubbing so I wouldn't have to see the concerned look on her face.

"I don't know, Mom." I mumbled. "I really don't."

End Chapter One


	3. She Left

Eleven years ago Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M just in case.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Definite yaoi on the horizon, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Two: She Left

"_Welcome to the planet. Welcome to existence. Everyone's here. Everybody's watching you now. Everybody waits for you now. What happens next? I dare you to move. I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor. I dare you to move like today never happened before." –Switchfoot 'Dare You to Move'_

Six months later, Hayner's life had returned to as normal as it ever was. Sort of.

Rule 3 (when Hayner says 'Mama,' pick a fight with him) was coming into play more and more often in the months since that perverted bastard left. Oddly enough, there was a pretty good explanation for that. At least, it was as good an explanation as child abuse could ever have.

That asshole got Hayner's mom knocked up. She was in her last trimester (eight months and counting), and her emotions were even more out of whack than usual.

Surprisingly, Hayner had taken it really well. In fact, he was looking forward to having a sibling—it had gotten harder than ever to pick a fight with him when he needed one. He was already babbling about how 'cool' it was going to be to have a baby sister. Having a baby _brother_ didn't seem to have crossed his mind, and apparently he and his mom both refused to find out the gender of a baby before it was born. Some sort of weird tradition or something.

"Mrs. Dincht!" Hayner burst into the restaurant, as per usual. Although his mom had stopped working here when I was fourteen (I took over her job), he still made a habit of dropping by after work every day to see my mom. He mostly avoided me.

"Hi, Hayner." Mom said, giving him a light hug. It would never cease to amaze me that those two got along so well when Hayner and I hated each other _so much_. "How's your mom?"

"She went into labor this morning." Hayner said, as sunny as ever. "She made me go to work, so I wanted to drop by to tell you before I head back to the hospital."

"Oh! Oh, sweetie, that's wonderful!" Mom hugged him again, tighter this time. "Are you excited about seeing your new brother or sister?"

"Yeah." Hayner thumbed his nose, a nervous habit of his. "It's going to be kind of weird, though. I mean, I'll probably be going off to college soon, and now there's going to be a new baby around the house…maybe it'll make Mama better, you know? Instead of just me. She won't be reminded of Dad as much."

I grimaced a little from where I was wiping a table a few feet away. I should have _known_ this was going to happen—Hayner thought the baby was going to take his place. Hell, as fucked up as his mom is it might be doing just that, the stupid bitch.

"Hayner…" Mom ruffled his hair. "Don't be so silly. You aren't stopping your mom from getting better; I've told you time and time again that none of this is your fault."

"Yeah, I know." His tone said better than words that he didn't completely believe her.

"Nothing is going to change, Hayner. I promise. The baby isn't going to change anything."

"That's what Mom said." Hayner nodded. "She promised she wouldn't run off or anything once the baby's born. I was…well, I kind of thought she might want to start over like Dad did."

"Your mom isn't going to leave you, Hayner. She loves you." Mom tweaked his ear. "You want me to go with you to the hospital, squirt?"

He laughed. "Nah, I'll be okay."

"Seifer could go with you, then." Mom continued. "I know the rest of the gang went off to the beach for the week, and you really _should_ have someone with you. You could be there for hours, especially if this little cutie's as stubborn as you were."

I could feel Hayner look over at me, and glanced up from my work. Our eyes met, and his narrowed.

"That's alright, Mrs. Dincht—"

"No, I insist." Mom said. It wasn't surprising—she had been trying to force us to get along for years. Maybe she felt a little guilty about our childhood fallout, too? I dunno. "Seifer, you're not allowed to come back to work until Hayner's mom has popped out that baby—and if I find out you didn't go to the hospital, you won't get paid for the next month. And Hayner, call me Selphie."

"No seriously, Mrs. Din—I mean, Selphie—I mean…he _really_ doesn't have to come with me. I—"

"I don't mind chickenwuss." I said, stripping off my apron. "You know she won't change her mind; let's just go."

"I don't _want_ you to come!" Hayner hissed.

"You don't get a choice!" Mom sang cheerfully, ushering us out the door. "See you later, boys!"

And then she grabbed the apron out of my hands and slammed the restaurant door shut behind us.

"_Shit_." Hayner cursed, running a hand through his hair.

"You got a problem, chickenwuss?" I asked as I pulled my beanie out of the pocket of my black uniform pants and tugged it over my head.

"No." He snapped. "Ugh…look, I won't tell your mom that you didn't go to the hospital if you want to go to the Sandlot or something."

"You really think that'll work, lamer?" I snorted. "You know as well as I do that she's crazy good at finding that sort of shit out. Let's just go to the hospital—the sooner we get there, the sooner I can go the fuck home."

"Right." He muttered as we began walking, shoving his hands in his pockets.

We walked in tense silence for a few blocks before either of us spoke again.

"D'you think she'll look like me?" He asked as he folded his arms behind his head thoughtfully. "I mean…I look a lot like Mom, right?"

I shrugged. "Hell if I know. The kid might look like its dad." I paused for a moment. "But…if it looks like your mom…sure." I smirked. "At least there's no way it can look as retarded as you do."

"Shut up!" He scowled at me, but it didn't seem as angry as it usually was. He was probably too excited about his new sibling. "I'm serious, Seifer. I mean…if she looks like Mom and me…she won't remind Mom of the latest guy to leave us."

I winced. He should have said: 'if the kid looks like Mom and me, I won't be reminded of the person who violated me.'

"Why're you so set on this kid being a chick?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't notice my not-so-subtle change of subject.

If he did, he didn't push it.

"I dunno." He said. "I guess I kind of like the idea of having a sister." He grinned. "Plus, I'm nowhere near patient enough to deal with a little brother. It'd be way too much testosterone for one household."

"Testosterone?" I arched an eyebrow at him. "My, my, aren't we expanding our vocabulary. It's got more than two syllables—you sure you know what it means?"

"Shut the fuck up, asshole." He blew a raspberry at me.

Weird. Usually it was at about this point in the conversation that a punch was thrown. Had we really gone…five whole minutes without actually fighting?

"I guess I gotta hope you're right." I said with a dramatic sigh. "Having to deal with a mini-chickenwuss might be a little too much."

"Yeah—you can hardly handle _one_ of me." He snickered.

"You wanna say that again, lamer?"

"You. Can. Hardly. Handle. One. Of. Me." He said slowly, like I was a toddler.

"Why you—c'mere!" I snagged an arm around his neck, but let myself screw up the grip so that he slipped away easily.

Rule #5: Always let Hayner break out of headlocks without too much of a fuss.

"Told ya, you bastard." He laughed.

What. The. _Fuck_? He _laughed_? When the hell did we get so…_friendly_?

Surely the prospect of having a kid sibling wasn't making him _this_ happy-go-lucky? God, it was like a…sunshine-y _mind fuck_.

"What the fuck ever." I waved him off, a little apprehensive.

Pissed off Hayner I was more than used to. Brooding Hayner I could handle. Depressed/suicidal Hayner I could deal with. Giddy Hayner…officially scared the piss out of me. Was this how he acted all the time when I wasn't around?

Should that have bothered me as much as it did?

"Ah! There it is!" He exclaimed suddenly, pointing at the oddly ominous figure of the hospital and breaking into a run.

"Whoo-fucking-hoo." I muttered, speeding up only slightly.

"Which room is my mom in?" Hayner was asking as I entered the hospital. "Deidra Trent? I can go in, right? The father isn't here; I'm her son."

The nurse behind the desk gave him a tired look before checking her computer, her ridiculously long nails making the already annoying clacking of the keys even worse.

"Sorry, hun." She said. "Ms. Trent is in the delivery room right now, but I'm afraid you can't go in. They're having complications."

Hayner paled.

"Complications? What do you mean? I mean, she's a couple of weeks early but that shouldn't matter, right? She's eight months along." He said, his voice shaking.

She glanced up at him over a pair of slim glasses, and her eyes softened. "She'll be fine, hun. We do this sort of thing all the time. Your mom's gonna pull through okay."

"Oh." Hayner let out a relieved sigh. "Okay."

"You're cute." She said, giggling. "Just go to the fourth floor and take a left. The waiting room will be the third door on the left; I'll let someone know you're here."

"Okay, thanks!" He said, taking off for the elevator without waiting for me.

She turned to me. "Can I help you, sir?"

"No, I'm with the idiot." I said.

"Boyfriend?" She asked knowingly. "It's sweet of you to come with him."

"W-_what_?" I blushed. "I'm not his _boyfriend_! I'm not even his _regular_ friend!"

She laughed like she knew something I didn't—a regular Mona Lisa, the ugly bitch. "Alright." She waved, then returned to whatever she had been doing before we arrived.

My jaw clenched, but I bit back the snide retort that was crawling up my throat, instead opting to follow after Hayner, who was practically bouncing in front of the elevator.

"You gotta take a piss?" I asked, shaking off my blush.

"No…?" He said, the statement coming out more as a question.

"You're doing the potty dance." I pointed out.

He frowned, making an obvious effort to stop vibrating in place.

I snorted softly, but further conversation was stopped when the elevator doors slid open and a small crowd of people stepped off. We boarded, now the only people on the elevator other than some old broad with a walker.

"Hello." She said in that shaky, high-pitched voice that made me glad I was gay and would never have to deal with my partner growing so old her vocal chords permanently hit high notes that made puberty sound like a blessing. "Harold is getting a new heart today."

"I'm getting a new sister today!" Hayner said, starting to jump up and down again.

"That's nice, dear." She looked at me. "Is thisgentleman your boyfriend?"

"What? No! That's just Seifer." He said.

_Just_ Seifer? Fucking bastard.

"That's nice, dear." She said again. "It's so wonderful to see a young couple so in love." The elevator stopped. "Oh, this is my stop." She smiled up at me. "You take care of her, young man. Such a sweet girl." She turned and tottered off, leaving the two of us gaping after her.

"Ahm…" Hayner sputtered as the doors closed.

"Did she call you a _chick_?" I asked.

"I…think so?" There he went saying stuff that came out like a question again. "Did she…think we were _dating_?"

"So did the chick at the counter." I said. "At least _that_ woman was smart enough to get the gender right. Friggin' dumbass women. Fucking _Christ_—I know people are getting more open about the gay thing, but _damn_."

"Well, at least I know it's not just me." Hayner deflated against the side of the elevator. "This happens _all the time_. Do I seriously look gay? Holy God…"

"You a homophobe, lamer?" I asked, not sure why the prospect bothered me.

"No." He scoffed as we reached out floor and stepped off of the elevator. "Roxas and Axel have been dating for a while now and it's never bothered me. I just don't see why everyone's gotta think _I'm_ gay…or a girl…"

"You _do_ look pretty girly." I said, as if resigning myself to the fact. "Act like one, too."

"Fuck you." He said, flipping me off as we entered the waiting room.

"Sorry—you're not my type." I said, flopping down in one of the chairs.

"Yeah, I've got the wrong parts." He snickered.

I sneered. "No, you've got the right parts. I just don't go for chickenwusses."

He stared at me.

I frowned at him. "I've been out of the closet since I was _fifteen_, dumb-fuck. Don't tell me this is the first you've heard of it?"

"It's not like I keep up with who you wanna screw." He bit out, stretching his legs out over the arm of his chair.

"This _is_ the first you've heard of it?" I blinked. I had thought that everyone knew I was gay; it's not like I went out of my way to hide it. And maybe I had expected for _Hayner_ to have figured it out even if I was secretive about it.

"I have a faulty gay-dar, so sue me." He grumbled.

"Idiot." I shook my head, crossing my legs and leaning back in my chair.

A doctor entered before he could reply.

"Mr. Trent?"

"That's March." Hayner corrected as he jolted out of his chair. "Is Mom okay? What about the baby?"

"You're the next of kin?" The doctor asked, giving him a rather patronizing look.

"He's the _only_ kin." I said, standing up and crossing my arms over my chest. "Answer the damn question."

"I'm going to need you to sign this paperwork." The doctor said, handing Hayner a clipboard and just generally ignoring me.

"Why? What's it for? What's going on?" Hayner asked, his hands trembling a little as he took the clipboard. "Are Mom and the baby okay?"

The doctor sighed. "The baby's fine. It's a girl."

"What about my mom?" Hayner asked, becoming frantic.

"There was a major hemorrhage after the birth, and we…we weren't able to stop the bleeding." The doctor said, now looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"What does that mean? Wh—what's wrong with my mom?"

"She…didn't make it."

"What do you mean she didn't make it? We're in a fucking hospital! She was just having a baby; you people are trained for this shit! Goddammit, nothing was supposed to change! What the fuck did you do?" He screamed.

"Whoa, Hayner, calm down!" I pinned his arms behind his back as he tried to throw himself at the doctor, who all but bolted out of the room. "Calm down, chickenwuss!"

"No! She promised she wouldn't leave me! She promised she wouldn't leave me!" He yelled before the meaning of his words finally seemed to hit him. He stopped struggling, suddenly going limp so fast that I was hardly able to stop him from falling to the floor even though I was already holding his arms. "She…she left me. Oh, God, she left me. She left me!"

I brought us to the floor slowly, keeping one arm around him to stop him from running off if he tried while I used the other to get my cell phone and call my mom.

"_Hello?"_

"Mom?" I said as Hayner began crying softly in my arms, his sobs making the same helpless sound he'd made when he found out his dad was gone for good. The sound I had never wanted to hear him make again. "You need to get to the hospital. Hayner…Hayner's mom's dead and he's freaking out."

"_What? What happened?"_

"I don't know; the doctor said something about hemorrhaging."

"_What about the baby? Is the baby alright?"_

"Yeah, it's fine, Mom. The baby's fine. I dunno about Hayner, though."

Hayner burst into a fresh bout of tears.

"_I'll be there in a minute. You just try to calm Hayner down."_

"How the—how am I supposed to do that?"

"_You'll have to figure something out. Be there in a minute."_

The phone disconnected and I sighed, frustrated, as I shoved it back into my pocket.

How in the _hell_ was I supposed to calm him down? The closest I ever got was picking a fight with him, and somehow I doubted that that would work this time. I wasn't even good at comforting my own mother when she got upset about something. I tried to think of how she comforted me—no, Mom hadn't done that in years. Usually when I got upset (or as close to upset as I ever get) I just picked a fight with _this_ lug.

But…how had she comforted me when I was younger?

With a sigh, I placed a hesitant hand on Hayner's back.

"It…it's okay." I said. "It's okay, chic—Hayner."

"She left me." He said, trembling a little under my hand. "She's dead."

"Yeah, but…it'll work out. And…and you've gotta take care of your little sister now." I reminded him as gently as I could manage.

"I can't…" He shook his head, seeming slightly hysterical. "She _left_ me. She promised she wouldn't leave me!"

"You've gotta pull yourself together, Hayner. You're all that baby's got, now." I said. "You aren't the only person who lost someone today."

He didn't answer, and for a moment I had a sickening feeling of déjà vu, my mind flashing back to the day his mom had gotten her divorce papers. He wasn't going to turn out like _her_, was he?

Then he sniffled loudly, nodding.

"Yeah. I gotta…I gotta be strong for her." He said, pulling one arm free so as to wipe his eyes. "I can't freak out like this."

"Hayner?" My mom entered the room, falling to her knees and throwing her arms around the both of us. "Oh, Hayner, I'm so sorry."

Hayner shook his head. "No, it's okay." He said, struggling to regulate his breathing. "I can't do this right now. I have to take care of my sister."

Mom looked at me, and I shrugged. She smiled.

"That's right, sweetie." She said, kissing his cheek. "And you know Seifer and Zell and I are here to help you out, okay?"

He nodded, pulling away from both of us and standing up. "I'll be alright."

Mom pulled a tissue out of her purse as the two of us stood. "Here."

He took it, wiping his eyes and then blowing his nose noisily.

"Mr. March?" A nurse walked in, a tiny pink bundle in her arms.

"Is that…?" Hayner's eyes widened.

"She needs a name." The nurse said as she offered the bundle to Hayner.

I've seen a lot of different expressions on Hayner's face. Angry, sad, happy…I thought I had seen it all. I had never seen anything like this. As he took his sister up in his arms for the first time, he looked awed, and nervous, and jubilant all at the same time. He _glowed_.

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

…Shit, did I actually think that?

"Haven." He said after a moment, shifting the sleeping babe to one arm so he could put his freed hand on her cheek. "Haven Renee March."

"I'll go fill out the birth certificate, and then I'll have to take her to the nursery." The nurse said. "You should be able to take her home in a week or so."

"That long?" He asked, his face scrunching up.

"We have to make sure she's healthy." She said. "Especially since the birth was so rough. She's a little small, but I don't think we'll have any trouble releasing her at the end of the week."

Hayner flinched at the mention of his mother's death, but nodded.

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

Mom peered over Hayner's shoulder at the baby.

"Oh, she's so beautiful." She breathed. "Seifer, come look."

Obligingly, I stepped forward. The baby, Haven, had the same pert nose that her mother and brother shared, though the fuzzy hair that blanketed her head was a darker color than theirs.

"Her hair and eyes probably won't stay the same color as they are now." Mom said. "Whatever color her eyes are." She put her arm around me. "My Seifer had the darkest hair you can imagine when he was born! I never would have expected for it to turn into such a gorgeous blonde!"

"Mom." I groaned.

"And Hayner, you had the prettiest blue eyes for the first few weeks." She pinched Hayner's cheek. "I'll bet she has them right now, too. May I hold her?"

Hayner nodded, carefully distributing the dozing babe into Mom's arms.

"She's _precious_." Mom gushed. "Isn't she precious, Seifer? And the nurse wasn't kidding about her being little…goodness! Of course, I guess I'm a bad judge of that. Seifer was just so big when he was born—nine and a half pounds and twenty-two inches, would you believe? He was almost a third my size!" She giggled. "I was _so_ glad I had a C-section!"

"_Mom_." I said.

"Oh hush, you." She wrinkled her nose at me, then handed Haven back to her brother. "Here you are, sweetie."

"Thank you." Hayner said, cuddling his sister close.

Mom ruffled his hair. "That is a lucky little girl, Hayner March. You take good care of her."

He nodded. "I will."

"I'm going to head on back to the restaurant. Seifer will walk you home." She said.

"He doesn't have to…" Hayner mumbled half-heartedly.

"We don't have to do a lot of things, sweetie, but we do them anyways." She laughed. "You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah. I have to take care of Haven." He said.

She nodded, satisfied. "Good boy." She turned on me. "Walk him home. And for goodness' sake take off that ridiculous beanie!"

"Yes, ma'am." I said, taking it off. You don't say 'no' to my mom if you know what's good for you. "See you at home."

"Mhm." She said. "I'll see you boys later! Ta!"

She blew a kiss at us, then disappeared out of the room, nearly bowling over the nurse.

"I have to take her back, now." The nurse said, holding out her arms for Haven.

Hayner nodded, sighing sadly as he gave her the baby. "Can I stay in the nursery with her?"

"Only during visiting hours, I'm afraid." The nurse said apologetically. "Say bye-bye, Haven."

"See you later." Hayner said in that insistent voice of his. "See you later, Haven."

The nurse giggled and nodded. "See you later, then." She said, and left the room.

We both stared after them for a while.

"Come on, chickenwuss." I said, walking toward the door. "Let's go."

End Chapter Two


	4. The Move

Better Broken Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M just in case.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Definite yaoi on the horizon, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Three: The Move

"Is there something we can do? Seems the odds against survival are a million to one. 'Cause every day that passes by another street gang victim dies, and still there's nothing done. I can't save them by myself; oh, but God forbid that I just run away…" –Darryl Worley, 'Those Less Fortunate Than I'

Fast-forward eight months. Life had fallen into an easy pattern—during the week Hayner dropped Haven off at the restaurant every morning at seven while he went to work. Mom took care of her, though sometimes my dad or I had to watch her for a while so Mom could get something or other done. Hayner got back at about five or so, helped us with the dinner rush, and then left at nine or ten. On weekends he worked at the restaurant all day, only pausing to take care of Haven. He worked as an apprentice cook alongside my dad, that way he could stop when he needed to and never left Haven alone for too long.

The day in question was a Saturday (my day off), so I was hanging out with Rai and Fuu, who were back in town for the weekend. They both went to college on Destiny Islands, which was about a two-hour train ride (plus a short ferry ride) from Twilight Town.

"…So things are good, y'know?" Rai finished telling me about his and Fuu's week.

"You?" Fuu asked in her typically brief manner.

"Yeah. Nothing new around here. The restaurant's good…oh! Haven's finally teething."

Rai frowned. "Why do you care, y'know? It's just the chickenwuss's little sister, y'know?"

"She grows on you, man." I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Besides, Mom would kill me if I was mean to her."

"Baby." Fuu said.

"Exactly. She's just a baby." I said.

"No, _baby_." Fuu pointed, and I stopped as the sound of a baby's cry finally reached my ears.

I immediately recognized the crying, an ominous shiver running up my back as my heart began thumping harder in my chest.

"Haven?" I took off at a run toward the squalling, Rai and Fuu following close behind. I turned a corner and stopped, Rai nearly crashing into me. "H-Hayner?"

Haven looked safe enough, screaming though she was from atop a nearby pile of trash. Hayner, though, looked dead. There was a small puddle of blood forming around him, pooling from cuts all over his body. What I could see of his face was bruised and swollen.

"Fuu, grab the baby." I said, quickly recovering from my shock. I rolled Hayner over gently. "Hayner? Hayner, c'mon. Wake up."

He moaned softly, his eyes fluttering partway open. He immediately oriented on Fuu, who was moving toward Haven, and made a low, weak growl in the back of his throat.

"It's okay, Hayner. It's just Fuu." I said. "This is Seifer. You're gonna be okay now."

"S'fer?" He mumbled, his eyes struggling to focus on me.

"Yeah. C'mon, lamer." I ignored the keening whine that tore from his throat as I scooped him up into my arms. Though I had the scars to prove that he was one of the strongest people I knew, he felt as fragile as Haven in my arms.

His head swiveled around toward Fuu, his hand twitching toward her. "Hav'n?"

"Fine." Fuu said.

A relieved, but pained sigh was the only reply, and he let his head fall against my shoulder.

"Let's get them back to my place." I said, holding him closer as we started walking.

"Don't let him fall asleep, y'know." Rai said.

"Concussion." Fuu said.

"Yeah." I nodded; for once not mad at them for such an order-like suggestion. "Stay with me, Hayner. No sleeping."

"'M t'red." He muttered.

"Quit whining before I give you something to whine about, chickenwuss." I scoffed.

"Ngh."

"That's not an answer…but sure." I said. Rai, Fuu and I took turns talking to him for the few blocks there were between where we were and my apartment, which was above the restaurant.

"Oh my—Seifer? What happened?" Mom gasped as we entered through the back door.

"Dunno." I shifted my hold on him and inwardly grimaced when he let out a pained grunt. "We found him like this in an alley a few streets up."

"Where's Haven?" She asked.

"Here." Fuu said, holding the still crying babe out for my mother's inspection.

Mom took her and cuddled her close, cooing soothingly at her. "Well, get him upstairs and help him take a bath to get as much of that blood off as possible. Hopefully it isn't as bad as it looks."

I nodded, motioning at Rai to go ahead of me to open the door to my upstairs apartment. I followed him up the stairs, Fuu staying behind to help in the kitchen while Mom tried to calm Haven down enough to put in her playpen.

"Go back downstairs and help Fuu." I said when we'd gotten into my apartment. "I can take care of Hayner myself."

"You sure, y'know?" Rai asked.

"Yeah, I've got him." I said.

"Alright, y'know." Rai said hesitantly, but left.

"Okay, Hayner, I'm going to put you on the couch while I get the water started." I said, setting him down on the couch. "Try not to fall asleep, alright, lamer?"

"Mhm." He was much more awake now, though he still seemed tired as I went to the bathroom to turn on the water. I was fairly certain he didn't have a concussion, and if he had had one it had been mild enough that he would be all right now. I figured he was tired because he had been working so much lately, and the fight had just taken more out of him than he would ever admit.

I scowled at the thought of the fight. What kind of people picked on a someone holding a baby? Most of the thugs I knew around Twilight Town avoided beating up people who had kids with them.

I was pretty sure Hayner didn't have enemies _that_ ruthless. Actually, I was pretty sure Hayner didn't have any enemies at all, besides me, which made this even weirder. Most of the gang-type folks in Twilight Town considered Hayner and his friends as my punching bags and wouldn't dare pick on them without my permission.

Besides, any thug who had lived here for any length of time knew that you _never_ picked a fight with Hayner when he would have to protect someone. I knew that from personal experience—Hayner didn't hold _anything_ back when he was protecting someone, and I had only ever picked a fight with him around his friends, who could take care of themselves. Picking a fight with him when the person he was protecting was his _helpless_ _baby sister_…?

Hell. No.

Probably the only reason they had been able to do what they'd done to him was sheer numbers; I rather wished I had seen what the other guys looked like. I smirked at the thought—they would be nursing those wounds for _weeks_, if I knew Hayner.

Stupid bastards.

After turning the water on, I went to the kitchen, grabbing an icepack out of the freezer before heading back into the living room. Hayner was drooped forward on the edge of the couch, eyes open but not looking at anything in particular.

"Here, chickenwuss." I handed him the icepack, which he pressed up against his left eye with a hiss. "Can you stand by yourself?"

He leaned forward, testing his weight on his feet, but fell back on the couch lightly. He blushed, looking down and shaking his head.

"Not a problem." I said, looping his right arm over my shoulder and hoisting him up.

He winced, but didn't make any sounds of protest. "You said Haven's okay, right?" He rasped.

"Yeah, she's fine." I assured him. "You did good, lamer. The other guys must look like shit."

He laughed a little as we limped to the bathroom. "A couple of them. Stupid bastards jumped me in that alleyway. They've been bothering me for a while but…" He broke off with a grunt as I helped him slide his vest off. "…Never when Haven was with me. I could've taken them otherwise; I've done it before. One of them grabbed her and I sorta blacked out." He stripped off his shirt before continuing. "When I woke up two of them were dragging me off him and she was in the trash. I fought for a while longer, but another of the fuckers jumped and strangled me, and I passed out." He rubbed his neck, where I could now see a deep set of bruises.

I felt my expression darken. No fucking wonder they beat the shit out of him—Hayner had panic attacks if you had him in a headlock for too long, thanks once again to his bitch of a mother (and probably with help from one of her dumbass boyfriends). That's what Rule Five was for.

"Can you get your pants off by yourself?" I asked.

He nodded. "I can get the rest."

"Alright. I'm gonna go check on Haven." I said, leaving the room and going downstairs. Haven was still crying. "Is she okay?"

"She's scared." Mom said. "I think it's because she doesn't know where Hayner is. She's only got a few bruises, though. Nothing serious."

"Good." I said. "Give her here; I'll take her to Hayner." I looked at Rai and Fuu as Mom put her in my arms. "Whoever did this has gone after Hayner before. I want to know who it is before the end of the week, got me?"

"I got it, but we'll be gone, y'know?" Rai asked, Fuu nodding in agreement.

I scowled. "Just get the word out. Going after Hayner is one thing, but going after a guy with a _baby_ is something completely different."

"That's not cool, y'know?" Rai frowned. "We'll spread the word, y'know?"

"Punishment." Fuu said.

"Good. Go, then." I said. "I can take care of Hayner, Mom—I think it just looked worse than it is like you said. I forgot how fierce that kid could fight, so I think a lot of the blood wasn't actually his. I'll call you if I need anything."

Mom gave me that 'I know something you don't know' smile of hers. "Okay, sweetie. Take care of him."

"I will, Mom." I said, going back upstairs as Rai and Fuu said their goodbyes and left. I turned my attention now to Haven, who had calmed down a little but was still crying. "Shh, baby. It's okay, Haven. Big brother's fine, and you're both safe now. Shh."

I went straight to the bathroom, where Hayner had already climbed into the bathtub. He had already heard Haven crying, a relieved expression immediately coming to his face when he saw her in my arms.

"Mom said she's just a little bruised." I said, sitting on the toilet and setting her on my knee so that she could see her brother. "See, Haven? Hayner's fine."

She reached her arms toward him insistently, and he allowed her to grab hold of his hand but didn't take her.

"I'm taking a bath, silly, I can't hold you." He said.

"Any of you still bleeding?" I asked as Haven finally calmed down, although she obviously wasn't happy that her brother wouldn't hold her.

He shook his head. "Nah, it's all stopped." He looked away from me. "Thanks for…you know."

"Fuu heard Haven before I did, so you should probably thank her." I said. "Hell, you should probably thank Haven for crying so loud. But…sure, you're welcome."

"At least you _came_." He said, rolling his eyes. "A lot of people wouldn't have, especially since you and I don't get along."

"I might not like _you_, but I wouldn't leave a baby high and dry like that." I said with a frown. "Definitely not a baby I _know_."

"A lot of people did." He shrugged.

"Yeah, well, they're a bunch of bastards." I snapped, my frown deepening. "Don't lump me together with them—I'm a completely different _class_ of bastard."

He stared at me for a moment, and then laughed. "You're the only person I know who would be _proud_ of that." He said.

"I just _said_ I'm a completely different class of bastard." I said.

"Yeah, right." He said.

"Seifer?" Came a yell from the front of the apartment.

"Yeah, Mom?"

"I brought up a bottle for Haven. Heat it up when it's time for her to eat." She said. "And don't forget to get Hayner a clean towel."

"Alright, Mom. Thanks!"

"I'll be downstairs if you need me! Love you!" She replied, and I heard the door shut softly.

I stood with a short sigh. "I'd better go get you some clothes and a towel."

"Thanks." Hayner said vaguely, drawing his knees up to his chest. Almost no pain showed on his face, now, and I took that to mean that the bath was helping.

"You sure you're okay, lamer?" I asked, standing in the doorway with Haven balanced on one hip. She was surprisingly quiet—usually she kicked up at least a small fuss when being separated from her brother.

"I'm fine." The statement wasn't at all convincing. "I just…miss my mom. Especially at times like this, you know? When I'm hurt…"

I snorted. "Hayner, she was usually the one that hurt you."

His jaw clenched, and I thought for a moment that I'd gone too far.

"I _know_ that." He said. "But I remember…I can remember when she wasn't like that. Before Dad left us, she…she was always there. Every time I got into a fight she was there for me, and I miss that about her. I've _always_ missed that. And just because she hit me every once in a while…that doesn't mean I don't miss her! She was my _mother_, Seifer."

"A mother _heals_ her son's wounds." I said. "She doesn't _inflict_ them."

"I still miss her." He said. "Sometimes she wasn't so bad. She would go back to the way she used to be, and I…I _lived_ for those moments. And now I can't even have that."

I closed my eyes, resting my head against the doorframe with a soft sigh. Hayner could be really tiring sometimes.

"It wasn't worth it, Hayner." I said. "Those moments…they weren't worth what you had to go through for them, and you shouldn't have had to live for them. A mother shouldn't put her own son through that."

"Yeah."

I opened my eyes and stared at him for a moment, but he didn't say anything else or even spare me a glance.

"I'll be back in a minute." I muttered. I went to then kitchen and put the bottle in a pot of water on the stove, turning the burner on. Then I went to the bedroom, gathering up some clothes (I had to guess Hayner's size and ended up pulling out some older clothes of mine) and then grabbing a towel from the hall closet. I put them on the sink in the bathroom. Hayner still didn't (wouldn't?) look at me.

I went back to the kitchen, sighed again (that happened way too often when I was around Hayner and we weren't fighting, I found), and sat down on a barstool to wait for the bottle to finish heating up.

Hayner came out of the bathroom before it had finished, limping noticeably. He was wearing a long-sleeved, navy blue shirt with the kanji for 'ore' (the same as my beanie) on it in gray, and a pair of my burgundy slacks. The shirt hugged his body tightly, and he had the sleeves pulled up to mid-forearm—as high as he could, I think. It was that tight. The pants, on the other hand, were loose and hung low on his hips.

"Hey there, gorgeous." He said, kissing Haven's head. She giggled and grabbed one of his hands, sticking one of his fingers in her mouth. "You can't eat that, silly goose."

"Is your leg alright?" I asked as I distributed her into his arms and grabbed the bottle, testing the temperature on my arm.

"One guy hit it with a pipe." He said with a shrug, sitting on the stool I had vacated. "I managed to roll away a bit, so it didn't hit too hard—I don't think it's broken or fractured. Just sprained."

"What were you even doing there?" I asked, handing him the bottle.

"Coming back from grocery shopping." He said. "Your mom gave me the day off—something like I need to get some sleep—and I figured I'd catch up on everything. Shopping, cleaning up, doing a few odd jobs around the place…that sort of thing. Then those guys showed up." He sighed, leaning heavily on the bar. "Fuckers took _everything_. The groceries, my wallet—I think they'd have even taken my clothes and Haven's blanket, except you showed up. They ran off when they heard you coming, the goddamned cowards."

"And you said they've been after you for a while?" I asked as I grabbed an icepack out of the freezer.

"A couple of weeks. One of them tried to mug me a while back and I kicked his ass, so now they're trying to get revenge or some bullshit like that. OW! Fuck, Seifer, warn a guy!"

I rolled my eyes, still holding the icepack up against his leg. "Quit whining, chickenwuss."

He snorted, then turned to shush Haven. "It's okay, babe, I'm fine." He said, his voice soft and soothing.

"Do you know who they are?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Just some second-rate goons who think they're tough enough to be worth a shit." He said. "If I hadn't had Haven with me I could've beaten them easily."

"But you _did_ have her with you, lamer." I pointed out, glancing up at him.

"Yeah, I did." He mused, watching Haven as she ate.

"So…what are you going to do about it?" I asked.

"I don't…ah, shit, I don't fucking know." He leaned back into the couch, closing his eyes and sighing. "I can't work on a bum leg…hell, I probably can't even get to my apartment on this thing. God dammit."

"Move in here." I blurted before the words had even completely registered in my head, but I quickly recovered and went with it as if I'd planned to say it. "I have an extra room, and we're above the restaurant so you won't be too far away from work."

"Seifer, I can't just impose…" He began.

"Who said anything about imposing?" I asked. "You're paying half the rent from now on, lamer, _and_ you're paying for your and Haven's half of the groceries. I'll shop, you'll clean everything but my room, and we'll take turns cooking. Deal?" I held a hand up.

He stared at me for a moment, his expression stuck between shock and confusion and something else that looked almost like awe.

"I…I could fix some things around the apartment, too." He said. "Your mom said you were having problems with the sink in the bathroom."

I smirked. That would be a yes.

"When're you moving in, then, lamer?" I asked. "Rai and Fuu can help us move your shit if we do it tomorrow."

"Okay. If you'll help me to the apartment I can pack most of it tonight." He said almost eagerly.

"No way, chickenwuss." I said. "You've got a shit leg, remember? Plus, Mom was right: you need to get some fucking sleep—you look like someone used a black permanent marker to draw those circles under your eyes. Sleep over here, and we'll go first thing in the morning when you're rested and that leg of yours has had time to heal a little."

"What are you, my mother?" He asked.

"C'mon, pookie, and I'll even tuck you in." I said in a sickeningly sweet voice, fluttering my eyelashes at him.

He laughed, his head tilting back from the force of it. "Oh, God, don't do that again. Ever."

"It's okay, sugar-lumpkins, Mummy's gonna take good care of you." I cooed just to spite him as I stood and helped him up.

"No, seriously, stop it." He pleaded through his giggles.

"Alright, alright." I said, pulling one of his arms over my shoulder to help him walk easier. "You laugh like a chick, gimpy."

"Shut the fuck up." He said, though his goofy grin hadn't changed.

I rolled my eyes and looked away, hoping he didn't see the little smile that was tugging at my lips at the way his earlier sadness had faded to the back of his eyes.

End Chapter Three


	5. Almost

"You're moving in with who Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M just in case.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Definite yaoi on the horizon, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Four: Almost

"_When it comes to relationships, I'm the dumbest one…and I don't mean just with girls—I mean with everyone…" –Relient K, 'Chap Stick, Chapped Lips, and Things Like Chemistry'_

"You're moving in with _who_?"

I groaned as I woke to Roxas' enraged voice, slightly garbled over the telephone. Why in the hell did Hayner have it on friggin' speakerphone?

"Seifer Almasy." Hayner's voice sighed, softer than Roxas' for all that he was technically closer.

"Why? Hayner, you remember all the shit he's put us through—"

"I got attacked last night, Roxas, and I had Haven with me." Hayner cut his best friend off. "I can't live in an apartment that far away from everywhere anymore; it's too dangerous. And if I have to swallow my pride and live with Seifer to keep Haven safe, I will. Seifer's apartment is right over the restaurant, and I won't have to worry about a bunch of goons trying to attack me in a back alley around here."

"Oh, yeah, you think _Seifer_ is going to protect you?" Roxas drawled.

"Maybe, I dunno. He brought me here last night after I got the shit beaten out of me, didn't he? And if nothing else, he'll protect Haven. For all of his posturing, you and I both know Seifer has a really strong set of morals. Otherwise he wouldn't have started that bogus Disciplinary Committee. Besides, even if _he_ didn't do anything, half the town's scared of his parents and the other half know better than to cross them. It just…it'll make my life easier, Roxas. I won't have to worry about Haven as much, and I won't have to wonder if I'm going to get robbed or something. My old apartment was in a bad neighborhood, and I couldn't afford to get a better one by myself."

"And what's Seifer getting out of this, exactly?" Roxas asked skeptically. "I know he's not doing this out of the goodness of his heart."

"I'll be paying for my groceries and half the rent, and I agreed to clean the place up and fix some things. I'll be fine, Roxas, I swear."

"I just…I dunno, Hayner. I don't think this is such a good idea."

"It's fine, Roxas. Jeez, you're such a woman sometimes." Hayner teased, obviously trying to lighten the situation. "Look, I'm moving in later today—once Seifer wakes up, actually—so d'you mind if he, Fuu, and Rai come with us to lunch?"

"…You want to bring Seifer and his gorillas to our lunch?" Roxas asked, his voice dangerous.

"You're bringing Axel." Hayner pointed out.

"Axel is my boyfriend, dumbass. And if you say you've decided to start dating that big buffoon I swear to God I'll—"

"I am _not_ dating Seifer just because I'm moving in with him."

A pause.

"You do know how that sounded, right?"

"…Yes. But that's not the—gah, you know what I meant, Roxas."

"Yeah, I know. And yeah, go ahead and bring him. He would probably just tag along to be a prick if I said no." Roxas huffed in defeat.

"Thanks, Rox." Hayner sounded relieved, for some reason. "And promise to be civil, okay? He _did_ save Haven and me last night, and he _is_ giving us a place to stay."

Roxas snorted. "Whatever. I'll be civil if he's civil."

"I'll relay the message." Hayner said, a smug smile in his voice. "Besides, if he proves you right you can just say 'I told you so' later, right?"

"And if he doesn't _you_ can." Roxas said, though he sounded skeptical that that would happen.

"Yeah, I know." Hayner's smile turned into a smirk (and yes, those things were audible. Hayner wears his emotions on his sleeve and expresses them with his voice). "So…you wanna come help? That way I'll at least know where _some_ things are, since you know my organizing system."

"Hayner, you know I'm helping Axel's mom with her yard sale today." Roxas said, as if he'd told Hayner this a thousand times before (which he probably had—it was my firm belief that Hayner had once flushed his memory down the toilet and never bothered to recover it). "If not I probably would. You want me to call Pence or Olette?"

"Nah, they didn't come home this weekend, remember?" Hayner said. (Well, damn, there goes my 'flushed down the toilet' theory.) "Pence has some big mid-term to study for and Olette's working on a project or something."

"…Actually, I'm pretty sure Olette went to the beach with her boyfriend." Roxas said hesitantly.

A long pause.

"Olette has a boyfriend?"

"Dude, she's been dating Setzer for almost six months."

Okay. The toilet theory is back on.

"Struggle Champion Setzer?"

"Yes."

"Gay, frou-frou, 'my ass whistles when I jump' Setzer?" Hayner asked.

Sigh. "Yes."

"…Okay, sure. _That_ makes sense."

"It makes more sense than you moving in with freaking _Seifer_." Roxas retorted.

"I get it, Roxas, you don't approve." Hayner was the one to sigh, this time.

"Look, Hayner…if we finish early, I'll come help and rope Axel into coming along, okay? And we'll probably be able to come help after lunch, if you still need us."

"Alright, thanks." Hayner said. "I'll see you then, Roxas. Tell Axel's mom I said hi."

"I will. See you at lunch." Roxas replied, and then the line went dead.

I heard a few soft movements from the room beside mine as Hayner hung up his phone and shuffled around the room for a bit before everything was quiet again.

With a tired but grateful sigh, I sank back into my bed.

So.

There I was.

Lying in bed.

Staring at the ceiling.

Plotting ways to kill Hayner March, because that fucking douche bag woke me the fuck up, God damn it, and it's pretty much physically impossible to go back to sleep after you've been woken up.

_Fuuuuck_.

I sighed again, this one irritable and impatient (but still tired), and looked at my clock.

8 o'clock.

AM.

As in, eight o'clock _in the morning_. That time of day when the _birds_ are still yawning.

Oh, yeah, Hayner was going to die.

Did I mention that I'm just a _little_ bit grouchy in the mornings?

Slowly, I pushed myself up into a seated position, looking around blearily for any life-threatening objects on the floor (i.e. things I would trip and possibly die on) before I stood up, yawned, stretched, took a step toward my dresser…

And got tangled in my bed sheets.

I went down with a sharp, but manly, yelp, twisting my body so I landed on my ass instead of my face. I let out a long string of cuss words, interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"Seifer? I heard a scream—you okay?" Hayner asked through the door.

Did not scream.

"Coffee." I grunted.

"…Huh?"

"Coffee…make now…" I said.

"O…kay…how do you take it?" He asked.

"Just make the fucking coffee!" I snapped.

"Fuck you, too." He retorted, but I heard him stalk off toward the kitchen with only minimal muttering.

A few minutes later saw me freed of the sheets and standing again, pulling some clothes out of my closet and throwing them on. I was still yawning and scratching my messy hair when I opened my door and smelled it.

Oh, wow…home cooked breakfast. Hadn't had _that_ in a while. The most I could manage in the mornings was cereal—I wasn't lucid enough for much else until about noon. I would just bum off of Mom, but she insisted that if she had to make me breakfast, I had to go over to her house to get it, and I had a horrible sense of direction when I was tired. Actually, I had a horrible sense of just about _everything_ when I was tired.

But we won't go into that.

What we _will_ go into is a big stack of pancakes with butter and maple syrup.

And no, that isn't drool. It's…never mind. Shut the fuck up before I smash your face in.

"Here."

A hot cup was shoved into my hands, and I blinked stupidly at the person who'd done the shoving, who was glaring at me.

"Now, if you're done being a grumpy bitch, sit the fuck down and eat your fucking breakfast before it gets cold. Asshole." Hayner said, plopping down in a chair and practically attacking his pancakes.

"Mm." I sat down, scrunching up in the chair and blowing on my coffee until it had cooled off enough for me to gulp it down without getting third degree burns on the inside of my mouth. I stood back up and walked over to the coffeepot, refilling my cup and repeating the process. Then I finally turned to the pancakes, which probably _had_ gotten a little cold. But the butter had melted and soaked into them, and I kind of liked them a little cold, so I dug in and scarfed them down like I hadn't eaten in weeks.

"You're a freak of nature in the mornings, aren't you?"

I jerked back; I had forgotten in my groggy state that someone else was there.

He laughed, stood, and poured me another cup of coffee. "Wow…I mean, I've seen people who're grumpy in the mornings, but you take it to a new level, man."

I looked up at him with a dry expression on my face. "It's eight in the morning."

He winced. "Yeah…sorry about that. Did I wake you?"

"No, blonde shit did." I said, finally awake enough for my taste buds to protest (loudly) at being subjected to black coffee. Which meant that, as I was grabbing the creamer, I was awake enough to notice what Hayner was wearing and freeze, staring rather blatantly in confusion. I still wasn't awake enough to be absolutely certain I wasn't seeing things, you see.

"What…? Oh." Hayner looked down at the bright, frilly pink apron he was wearing and shrugged. "It was the only spare one your mom had, and mine's at home."

"I _have_ an apron, lamer." I said, stuck between being amused and horrified (pink burns my eyes).

"Which looks like you stole it from a grease monkey." He said. "Do you ever wash that thing?"

"…Sometimes." I said. Laundry wasn't one of my strong points, as my many thrown-away pairs of pink boxers can attest.

He rolled his eyes. "You _could_ get a new one, dumbass." He pointed out.

"I don't fucking feel like it, lamer, and it's none of your damn business either way."

"Yeah, well, I'm not wearing that damn thing." He said. "I'm afraid one of those stains might be friggin' sentient."

I snorted. "Drama queen."

He made a tsking noise with his teeth and slipped the apron off. "You have _no_ professional dignity, do you? You work in a friggin' restaurant and you're wearing an apron that looks like it hasn't been washed since before you owned it."

"Professional…? What the _fuck_, chickenwuss? I'm not a damn chef, so what the fuck do I care what my fucking apron looks like? Besides, that's just the one I wear _here_. Mom forces me into one of her God awful monstrosities when I'm working."

"You would wear _that_ to work?" He asked. "What if a customer saw you? We would never get any business again! That thing's unsanitary!"

"Dude, just fucking drop it, okay?" I asked. I was too tired to argue. "Fucking prick."

"Ugh." He shook his head. "Look, I'm gonna buy you a new apron before that thing eats you, or worse."

"It's my fucking apron and if I wanna get eaten by it, it's my own damn business! So just drop the whole damn thing before I feed _you_ to it, okay?" I snapped.

He rolled his eyes. "Just eat your damn breakfast; I'm really sick of listening to you bitch."

"_I'm_ bitching? You're the one ranting about a fucking _apron_!"

"It's—"

"I don't care!" I snarled. "Pass the fucking syrup!"

He threw it at me, standing abruptly as we both heard Haven start to cry from their room. "See what you did, you fucking asshole?"

"I didn't do shit! Go get her while I start a fucking bottle!" I said, slamming the syrup on the table and storming into the kitchen as he stomped down the hall to his and Haven's room.

While I was in the kitchen, throwing things around and just generally making an ass of myself, the caffeine started to kick in. Now, here's the weird thing about me and caffeine—while it does wake me up, it also has the adverse affect of calming me down instead of just making me act like I had just eaten a hundred pixie sticks (which I'll admit to having done before…and which shall never be spoken of again. Ever).

So. Calming down due to excessive amounts of coffee.

During the time it took for Hayner to calm Haven down, me to get the bottle started, and him to bring her to the kitchen, I had calmed down enough so that I very nearly felt bad for being such a jerk to Hayner.

'Nearly' being the key word, of course.

Hayner had apparently managed to calm down as well (I blame Haven, bless her), because he slunk back into the kitchen and sat down without saying anything.

"Here." I tossed the bottle at him once I was sure it wasn't too hot, still too pigheaded and angry to be completely civil about it.

"When did Roxas wake you up?" He asked suddenly as he offered the bottle to Haven.

"Somewhere around 'I can't believe you're moving in with that sorry bastard.'" I replied, sinking back into my chair and beginning to nurse my lukewarm coffee. "Or something like that."

"Oh." He blushed, looking at Haven so he wouldn't have to look at me.

"You want us to go to lunch with you?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.

"It's the least I can do, after all this." He said with a shrug.

I stared at him, my eyebrows drawing together as I pursed my lips.

After a few moments of silence, he finally looked up at me, blinking. "What?"

"When I do something nice for someone, I don't expect them to repay me." I spat. "I realize you're paying for what-the-fuck-ever and doing odd jobs and whatnot, but I swear to God if you start going around trying to do shit for me to 'repay' me for letting you fucking move in, I'll fucking kill you, lamer."

"Seifer, I wasn't…I mean, I was…" He sputtered, setting Haven's empty bottle down.

"I might be a bastard, but I _am_ capable of doing shit out of the goodness of my heart every once in a while, and you can tell Roxas that for me." I stood up. "C'mon, let's go."

He nodded wordlessly, apparently giving up on redeeming himself, and followed after me, burping Haven as we walked down through the restaurant (saying hello and goodbye to Mom, of course—she chose not to comment on the tension between us).

The ride to Hayner's apartment (we took my dad's old pickup) was quiet, awkward, and uncomfortable. Hayner kept acting like he was going to say something, and then stopping and turning his attention to Haven. Haven herself could sense the mood we were in and was fussy, though she kept reaching toward me like she wanted me to hold her. We picked up Rai and Fuu on the way—they said hello, looked between us with oddly knowing eyes, and climbed in the back without saying anything else. By the time we got to Hayner's apartment (which really was far too far away from everything and in the slums of town), I had brooded so much over the incident that I wasn't sure what I'd gotten so upset about anymore.

I looked up at the ratty apartment building. "_This_ is where you _live_, chickenwuss?"

"I couldn't afford to keep up the apartment Mom and I were in." He said tersely, pushing past me and into the building.

"You! You little shit, where's my damn rent money?" A fat grease ball of a man appeared in a doorway, scowling at us in a way that made his face look like it would turn milk rancid.

"You got your rent yesterday, you fat bastard." Hayner moved Haven to sit comfortably on his hip in what was an oddly intimidating gesture—like he was moving her so he could still beat the fat guy up, but didn't think it'd take enough time or energy for him to have to put her down entirely. "Also, I'm moving out."

"There's a fee." The guy said, eyes glinting dangerously. "It's the second week of the month—you were late paying, and now I won't be able to rent the place out for another two weeks! That's a fair amount of money you're costing me."

Hayner rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, looking back at me and mouthing the words 'play along.' Before I could ask what he meant, he changed his stance so that the hip Haven sat on jutted out rather sharply—a stance that probably set off every gaydar for five miles.

"Aww, damn." He said, his voice giving off an even stronger impression than his stance did, if you catch my drift. "I don't think I can afford to do that right now."

The fat guy gaped.

Hayner looked back at me again with a wink that couldn't be seen by the landlord. "I think this means we'll have to take our little 'experiment' upstairs, hon." He said, even going so far as to bat his eyelashes a bit before he returned his gaze to the landlord. "We're trying something new today, and we were going to do it at my new apartment, but if I can't afford to leave here we'll just have to make do. Ignore the thumping, but if the screams get too loud just call my room number and I'll try out that new gag I bought the other day, mkay?"

"Y-you get out of my apartment building, you dirty faggot." The landlord sputtered, stepping back into his room as if he thought homosexuality was contagious.

"Oh, but I don't think I can pay—"

"You don't have to, just leave!" He practically screamed.

Hayner grinned. "You got it, boss." He said, then grabbed my hand and started pulling me upstairs. "C'mon, hon—the sooner we get everything moved out the sooner we can experiment!"

I gave the landlord some sort of smirk and waved a little, though I'll admit my smirk widened when he let out a little squeak and disappeared back into his room with a loud slam of the door.

As soon as we reached the top of the stairs, Hayner let me go and burst out laughing, leaning forward on his knees as much as he could while still holding Haven, who laughed along with him even though she obviously didn't know what was going on.

Actually…I didn't really know what was going on, either.

"What was that, y'know?" Rai asked, staring at Hayner. "Are you and Seifer…y'know?"

"Disturbing." Fuu muttered.

"No, no…" Hayner gasped out through his laughter, waving a hand helplessly. "Oh, God, that was great. I'm a fucking genius, I swear."

"_What_ was great?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"_That_." He said, pointing down the stairs. He had finally calmed himself down enough to stand straight again, though, wiping tears of mirth from his face. "I don't have to pay that bogus fee anymore, now. Damn, I love homophobes."

"Homophobic?" Fuu asked.

"Yeah, severely." He scoffed. "Couldn't you tell?" He giggled, shaking his head. "I've been wanting to do that since I first found out about it, but Roxas refuses to play along and he'd kill Axel if he did it."

"So you decided to use _me_?" I asked, frowning.

"You were closest, and Rai would've freaked out. I couldn't very well use Fuu, could I?" He asked, giving me a dry look.

"Female." Fuu confirmed, as if she needed to.

"Besides, aren't you two dating?" He pointed at Rai and Fuu.

I arched an eyebrow at him. "How can you know that _they're_ dating, but you don't know that Olette has apparently been dating Setzer for six months?"

"I thought Setzer was gay." He said. "I told you I have a faulty gaydar, didn't I?"

"What did you _think_ they were doing?" I asked.

"Shopping…boy watching, maybe? I dunno what gay guys do." He said with a shrug. "At least, not when they hang out with straight chicks."

"Oh, God." I put a hand over my face, partially because he was far too stupid for words and partially because I didn't want them to see how close to laughing I was. "Are you stupid on _purpose_, lamer?"

"I'm not stupid, just oblivious." He said. "Like Sora…but not _quite_ as extreme."

I shook my head. "Let's just…let's just go pack your shit up before that idiot decides to try and run us off." I said.

"He won't come within ten feet of us as long as he thinks we're gay—trust me." He said. "Oh, but don't forget we have to make a few good thumps every once in a while to freak him out."

"Sadistic." Fuu said, although there was a very, very small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"After living here for eight months, you would be, too." He said, and led us into his apartment.

It almost felt like we were friends again.

Actually…for a moment, it almost felt like we were more than friends.

And that, between you and me…felt good.

End Chapter Four


	6. Demyx

We worked at getting things stuffed into boxes for about two hours before we were finished Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M just in case.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Definite yaoi on the horizon, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Five: Demyx

"_What is this doubt in me, convincing me to fear the unknown? …I know I won't make it if I do this all alone…" –BarlowGirl, 'Let Go'  
_

We worked at getting things stuffed into boxes for about two hours before we were finished. Hayner himself didn't own a lot, and most of it could just be thrown together in whatever box it fit in. The thing that struck me as odd as we were packing was that I never saw any sort of memento of his parents. No pictures, no trinkets—not even an old shirt turned into a cleaning rag. Everything was either his or Haven's.

We didn't let Hayner do much work, because of his ankle, so he spent most of that time taking care of Haven, supervising us, and occasionally re-packing boxes we set near or around him. That's not to say that he was obsessive about it, because he wasn't. He was…peculiar with his 'packaging system.' And somehow, even though it didn't seem like much of a system, he managed to take our twenty or thirty boxes down to a mere ten.

I didn't ask how he managed that.

In any case, we had just finished up when someone called Hayner's cell phone. And by someone, I obviously mean Roxas.

Hayner put it on speakerphone (did he always do that?) and set it on the table in front of him as he and Roxas went through that ridiculous 'hey, what's up?' 'Not much, how about you?' phase that always begins a phone conversation.

"_We just left the yard sale._" Roxas said. "_You almost—Axel, quit touching me while I'm on the phone and keep your eyes on the damn road—sorry. Are you guys almost done there?_"

"We just got everything put into boxes, so once we've got everything loaded into Seifer's truck we'll be good to go."

"_Okay, we'll come over there and help, then we can eat lunch and go help you unpack. Axel, hands on the wheel! You're gonna get us killed, you horny idiot!_"

"I'll let you go so you can get your horn dog under control." Hayner snickered.

"_He's not my—AXEL! Left! Why in the hell am I dating you, you friggin'—look, Hayner, I gotta go. I'll see you—left, I said! What the hell is your problem?_" The line went dead as Hayner laughed at his friend's troubles.

"A little trouble in paradise, huh?" I asked, trying to mask my own amusement.

"That's how their relationship is—Axel tries to grope Roxas, Roxas yells at him, and then at some point they end up making out and maybe having sex. It's weird, but…it works for them, I guess." He shrugged and stood. "We'd better get started with these boxes…"

"Sit." I said, pointing at his chair. "We're doing all of the heavy lifting as long as that ankle of yours is in pain, gimpy."

He opened his mouth to argue, but the expression on my face must have made him rethink whatever he was going to say because he closed it and sat back down with a muttered "fine."

"If you're going to pout, why don't you just make us drinks or something to take with us to the café? I'm fucking thirsty." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Not pouting." He muttered, setting Haven on the floor to let her amuse herself as he limped to the kitchen.

I snorted and grabbed a box, Rai and Fuu doing the same, and we all headed downstairs to stuff them in the back of my truck. Just as we were coming back up for a second trip, a sporty looking red car (just because I'm a 'tough guy' doesn't mean I know cars, all right?) pulled up rather haphazardly beside us. And by 'haphazardly' I mean that Fuu had to leap up onto the sidewalk in order to escape being run over by it.

"Axel! I told you to be careful! I swear to God…" Blonde sh—_Roxas_ said as he exited the car, looking happy to have escaped with his life.

"I was careful!" A man with flamboyant, spiky red hair protested.

"Ha!" Roxas snorted, but let the manner drop as he noticed us watching them. "…Hi."

I waved a little, not deigning to actually greet them, and turned to go into the building…

…Only to run into fat shit.

…I mean the landlord.

"You've got your shit, you fags. Now leave." He spat.

I rolled my eyes. "We don't have all of it, dumbass, and Hayner's still in the apartment. So move your fat ass out of my fucking way before I remove it for you." I snapped.

Homophobes pissed me off, okay?

"Let him get it himself. I'm not letting you back in." He said.

"Hayner's got a sprained ankle, and there are seven boxes left. Now move or I swear to God I will have sex with him on every open surface of that apartment and let _you_ try to explain away the white stains to your next tenants. And don't think I won't, because I don't bluff. Ever."

"Truth." Fuu said with a small smirk.

He looked between the two of us, paled, and waddled back inside without another word to us, muttering to himself the whole time.

"Fucking asshole." I spat after him, going up to Hayner's apartment without waiting to see if everyone was following me.

Upon entering, I had to stop at the sight of Hayner pouring a thick white substance onto the couch.

"…What in the _hell_ are you doing, chickenwuss?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

He looked up just as everyone else was entering the room, grinning rather wickedly.

"I heard what you said to my landlord." He said. "So I mixed sugar and water together." He lifted the glass toward me. "He won't get close enough to know what it really is."

"You guys are sick, y'know?" Rai said as my mouth stretched to match Hayner's smile with a smirk of my own.

"He started it." Hayner said with a shrug. "Besides, I'm bored."

"What I wanna know is why he," Axel jerked a thumb at me, "told the landlord he'd have sex with you? Is there something you aren't telling us?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm having hot, wild sex with Seifer all the time." Hayner drawled, giving Axel one of those 'duh' looks that usually piss me off but this time made me snort.

"That's disgusting." Roxas said, and elbowed Axel. "Now quit encouraging him and grab a box, you goon."

"But I'm _your_ goon, Roxie." Axel said, clasping his hands together and fluttering his eyelashes in a way that was eerily similar to what Hayner had done to me when he'd started torturing his landlord earlier. I wondered if that was where he'd gotten the idea.

"Tell me you always knew _he_ was gay." I said as I grabbed two boxes.

"Even _my_ gaydar isn't _that_ bad." He said. "Although it took me about a week to figure out he was hitting on Roxas."

"Idiot." I said, ignoring the part of my brain that pointed out that that had sounded more like an endearment than an insult.

"…You two are seriously starting to creep me out." Roxas said. "Let's go."

Hayner cackled, picking Haven up (she had been amusing herself with one of the empty boxes) and following us out.

The landlord followed us out with a suspicious gaze.

"Hayner, give Haven to Fuu once she puts her box in the truck." I said out of the corner of my mouth as I set my boxes down in the truck bed.

He gave me a curious look, but nodded and did so, only squeaking a little when I snagged him around the waist, dipped him like something from one of those old romance movies, and kissed him.

In spite of the fact that I was doing it to freak out a homophobic landlord, I had to admit that kissing Hayner felt _nice_. Most guys (and girls, actually) let me lead a kiss, too intimidated to do anything else. But Hayner—once he'd gotten over his shock and realized what was happening—fought me. The opposing pressure was…_delicious_.

…I mean, what?

"You!" The landlord hissed, knowing he was being taunted (though he might not have realized that we weren't actually dating).

Hayner broke the kiss with a loud 'smack' and gave the fat grease ball a disgruntled look. Then his eyes widened like he had remembered something, and he lightly slapped my hands off his waist and pulled something out of his pocket.

It was a silk handkerchief.

"Since we don't need this anymore, d'you think you could throw it away for me?" He asked innocently.

The landlord shrieked and ran upstairs as quickly as his fat ass would allow.

"You are both freaks." Roxas said with a shudder.

"It was brilliant and you know it." Hayner snickered, stuffing the handkerchief back into his pocket and taking Haven back from Fuu.

"It seriously was, Rox." Axel said. "Although they kiss damn enthusiastically for a supposedly straight guy and the guy he hates."

"Strange." Fuu mused with a glint in her eyes that made me think she knew something I didn't.

"Hayner isn't straight, he's bisexual." Roxas said, giving Hayner a scrutinizing look. "And I'm beginning to wonder about the 'hate' part."

"Gays of the world will always unite against homophobia." Hayner said gravely.

Roxas snorted and rolled his eyes. "Just get Haven and get in the car."

"Haven is _not_ riding with that lunatic." I said immediately.

"Axel isn't a lunatic." Roxas said, eyes narrowed.

"His driving says otherwise." I said. "Look, they're moving in with me so she's safe, right? So why would I let her ride with someone who can hardly _park_ without hitting someone? Get in the damn truck, lamer, or let Fuu hold her until we get to the café."

Hayner frowned a little, then gave Roxas an apologetic look and climbed into the truck.

"Fine. Let's go, Axel." Roxas said angrily, slamming the car door loudly behind him.

Since _that_ particular crisis had been averted, we drove to the café in silence.

When we arrived, Sora Doyle (Roxas' twin), Riku Talbot, and Kairi and Naminé Mitchell were already there and waiting.

"Hi, guys!" Kairi said as we entered the café, waving enthusiastically.

"Hayner!" Sora exclaimed, leaping toward Hayner in his usual hyperactive manner. I caught him mid-jump and set him down none-too-gently.

"He's holding a baby, dumbass." I said.

"He wasn't going to hurt her, Seifer." Hayner said. "He does this all the time. And just because I'm moving in with you and all doesn't mean you have the right to…to run off my friends for my protection, or whatever the fuck you think you're doing. Back the fuck off."

"Don't fucking tell me what to do, chickenwuss." I snapped, sitting down.

"_That's_ more like it." Axel said as he sat down across from me.

"More like what, jackass?" I asked.

"You guys were creeping me out earlier being all buddy-buddy." Axel shrugged.

I snorted loudly but didn't comment.

"Those two? Buddy-buddy?" Riku asked. "I don't believe it."

"They were!" Roxas said.

"It was weird, y'know?" Rai said.

"Kissed." Fuu said with a sage nod.

"They _kissed_?" Sora practically screeched.

"We were just freaking my homophobic landlord out." Hayner said. "I've been trying to talk one of _you_ guys into it almost since I moved in, and Seifer actually played along. It's not a big deal."

"I've been waiting for you two to kiss ever since Seifer came out of the closet!" Kairi said. "Did someone at least get a picture?"

"Check youtube tonight, Kairi." Axel said with a smirk, waving his cell phone.

"Do it and I'll shove that phone so far up your ass you'll be able to call people by poking your cheek." I hissed.

"That would be _cool_." Axel said.

"Maybe until you have to explain why Shakira is playing inside your skull." Hayner said.

"I told you not to put that stupid song as your ringtone." Roxas snickered as Axel wilted a little.

"Besides, what do you mean you've been waiting for it since Seifer came out of the closet?" Hayner asked, turning his attention back on Kairi.

"Oh, please, if this stupid fighting you two do isn't because of sexual tension I dunno what is!" She giggled.

"I always said you were the stupid Mitchell sister." Hayner said with a smirk.

"Hayner!" She said, looking like she would have hit him if she'd been closer.

Hayner's smirk just widened.

Banter like this flew back and forth for a few minutes before the waitress came and took our orders, which was about the same time that Haven started crying because she needed her diaper changed.

"I'll get her." I said before Hayner could stand, taking her from him. "You've still got a bum leg, gimpy. Stay."

"I'm not a fucking dog, you asshole." He said.

I flicked his nose. "_Stay_." I repeated firmly. "I could always get you a shock collar."

"Jackass." He said, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair.

"Bitch." I replied, grabbing Haven's diaper bag and walking off before he could say anything else, although I heard everyone laugh.

Once I had changed Haven's diaper (I'd grown used to it—mostly—but I understood why so many men avoided it at all costs. Women seemed to accept it and move on…weird ass gender), I headed back just in time to hear a question that made me want to sock Naminé in the nose, girl or not.

"Hayner, when's the last time you heard from your dad?"

He paled, as he always did, and wouldn't meet anyone's gaze. "It's…he called me about a year ago." He said carefully.

"He did?" Roxas asked, eyes widening.

"About the same time Haven's dad left." He said, still not looking at us. "Remember when I got all moody that one day and you were pissed off at me? It was sometime before then."

"You could've told me that's what it was about." Roxas said, sounding betrayed.

"I didn't want to talk about it, okay?" He snapped.

"What did he say?" I asked, sitting beside him.

"Not a lot. Just…he asked me how I was, what I was up to, that sort of thing. And I told him…I told him I was…y'know, questioning my sexuality. He started going on about how no son of his was going to be some gay freak, and how he was glad he had another son to make up for what a disappointment I was and blah, blah, blah." He shrugged. "It didn't bother me too much until I realized he said he had another son."

"Did you ever think about wanting to meet your half brother?" Naminé asked.

He shook his head. "Not really. I guess I wouldn't mind meeting him, as long as he isn't a bastard like my dad. Why?"

"Well…remember how I went to Governor's School last year for my art?" She asked.

On a side note: Naminé was a hell of an artist, and had gotten to go to Governor's School for it. Governor's School was basically a six-week summer camp for wicked smart and/or gifted people. My guidance counselor had tried to convince me to go for English (don't say anything or I'll fucking kill you), but there was no way I could leave the restaurant for six weeks, especially during the busy season (i.e. summer, for those intellectually challenged kids out there).

"Yeah." Hayner said, eyes widening fractionally.

"I met a boy there named Demyx March." She said. "He was there for music, and when I told him where I was from he said he apparently has an older half-brother here."

The earlier pale color he had turned at the mention of his father looked like a deep tan compared to the color Hayner had just turned.

"Y-yeah?"

She nodded. "I invited him to come visit, because…" She blushed prettily. "Well, we sort of hit it off. You don't have to meet him if you don't want to—I didn't tell him that I know you so he won't get disappointed or anything—but I know he would really like to talk to you."

"W-when's he coming?" He asked.

"He's already here." She said. "Mom took him to the supermarket to pick up some things he forgot, so I could call her and tell her to bring him here if you want."

"Why did you wait until _now_ to tell me?" He asked, looking on the verge of hyperventilating.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." She said. "And he didn't confirm that he would definitely be coming until last week, so it's not like I had a lot of time. It only occurred to me yesterday that you might not want to meet him."

"Okay. Okay, call him." He said.

"You don't have to meet him today. It can wait." Roxas said, obviously concerned for his friend.

"No, I want to meet him." He said determinedly.

"Alright." Naminé said, beaming proudly at him as she went outside to make the call. I wasn't sure why she went outside to do it, but whatever.

"How many of you knew about this?" Hayner asked softly after a few moments of awkward silence. Almost everyone shook his or her head in denial.

"She never said his last name when she talked about him." Kairi said guiltily.

"If this kid was at Governor's School with Naminé, that means he's probably her age, right?" He asked shakily. "And that means he's only two years younger than me. Dad…Dad didn't leave us until I was six."

"I'm so sorry, Hayner." She whispered.

"How could I already have been so much of a disappointment when I was _two_ that he had to go and have another kid?" He asked. "At least Mom waited until I was almost eighteen."

"If your dad thinks you're a disappointment then he's an idiot _and_ an asshole." I said, putting a hand on his back. "Even _I_ don't think you're a disappointment."

He let out a bitter laugh that was obviously hiding a sob. "Oh, yeah, _that_ makes me feel better."

"I could sic Mom on him for you." I offered.

He shook his head. "I don't want her to waste time in jail because of him. He's not…he's not worth it."

Haven gurgled and reached out towards him, obviously trying to cheer him up.

"See? You're already a better Dad than he is and Haven's not even technically your brat."

This time his laugh was genuine as he took Haven from me and hugged her. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Don't get used to it, chickenwuss. Wiping your eyes when you get all emo is _not_ in my job description as your new flatmate, thanks." I said with a shrug.

"You're a real jerk-off sometimes, you know that?" He asked.

"No, I'm a bastard, remember?" I asked.

"A class of your own, I know." He sighed.

"Damn straight."

"Hayner."

We all turned toward the sound of Naminé's voice, and I blinked at the sight of a boy who very nearly made Axel look masculine.

He had some sort of weird faux-hawk/mullet hybrid of a hairdo that somehow didn't look completely dorky on him, and wore a goofy little smile on his face that would've made me want to punch him when I was back in school. Now it just made my fist twitch (anger management did me _some_ good, I guess…).

"This is Demyx." She said, grabbing the boy's hand. "Demyx, this is Hayner March."

Demyx's baby blue eyes widened to almost comic proportions for a moment, and then he decided to prove once and for all that he was only Hayner's _half_ brother.

He threw his arms up into the air and squealed like a girl.

…Naminé had said they hit it off, right?

As in, they wanted to date each other?

As in, he wasn't a flaming homosexual?

Shit, maybe Hayner broke my gaydar…

He nearly attacked Hayner, grabbing his hand and vigorously pumping it up and down like it was one of those old-fashioned water pumps.

"Hi! I'm Demyx March! I knew I had a half-brother in Twilight Town, but I didn't know that Naminé knew him—why didn't you tell me you knew him, Naminé? —so I didn't think I'd get to meet you but I'm _soo_ glad I get to because I've wanted to meet you since I was, like, five and Dad told me about you, only Mom said I wasn't allowed to because we're the reason Dad split up with your mom—I'm _super_ sorry about that, by the way—so I had to wait and then they kept making excuses so I couldn't meet you and I seriously can't believe I finally get to meet you!"

Hayner stared at him dumbly.

"Do you breathe?" He asked finally.

"Not when I'm excited!" Demyx said with a grin.

"Oh…okay." Hayner said.

Demyx turned his overzealous attentions on Haven, who was watching him curiously. "And who's this little cutie pie? Is she yours? What's her name? She looks just like you, y'know."

"She looks just like my mom." Hayner corrected, although he was smiling again. Anyone who liked Haven was good in his books. "She's my half-sister, and her name's Haven."

"Oh." Demyx's face fell a little. "Do you think your mom would mind if I held her? I mean, she's probably mad at me, right? Or…or about me, at least?"

"Mom died when Haven was born," Hayner said. "So it doesn't really matter."

Demyx gasped. "I'm so sorry! Oh, shit, I didn't mean to bring it up, I—"

"No, no, seriously, it's okay." He said. "I'm over it, and it didn't have anything to do with you. I don't think Mom even knew Dad had another son, so it's no big deal. And you can hold her, if you want."

"Really?" Demyx perked up again.

"Yeah, sure. Just be careful."

"Oh, I will!" Demyx said, plopping on the floor as he spoke and holding his arms out for her almost like a little kid.

Hayner laughed and passed her to him.

"She's the cutest baby in the world." Demyx cooed, wrinkling his nose at her. "Won't you give Uncle Dem-Dem a smile?" He ducked his head and looked up at Hayner. "I can be her uncle, can't I? Please?"

"You can be her brother as far as I'm concerned." Hayner shrugged.

I thought for a moment that Demyx's smile was going to split his face in two. Holy shit but that kid had more random-ass mood swings than Hayner and Roxas put together.

"Then she can just call me Dem-Dem." He said. "You can call me that, too, if you want. Most of my friends do. And then the bullies call me Dumb-Dumb, of course, but it doesn't really bother me all that much because bullies are just insecure jerks. I just call them 'small' when we're in the locker rooms and they back off." He grinned. "I never change out in there because it's really gross, so they don't know if I'm bluffing or not."

Hayner laughed. "I think we're gonna get along _just_ fine, Demyx."

There went that face-splitting smile, again.

"Oh, good! I was afraid you were gonna hate me." He said. "Hey, d'you think I could move in with you?"

"I—what?" Hayner asked.

"I'm getting emancipated." Demyx explained. "I'm in a band and we're getting pretty popular, and Mom noticed that Dad was siphoning off a pretty good chunk of what we were making— even more than I was supposed to get!—so she suggested it so that he has no right to go near the money. Only now I don't technically have anywhere to stay, since Mom's still married to Dad and Dad says that if I'm emancipated I'm not allowed in his house. I don't want to stay by myself, of course, but all of my bandmates still live with their parents and can't take me in."

"I would, but I'm moving in with Seifer." Hayner said. "Besides, shouldn't you stay near your band?"

"We're in Destiny Islands, dude." He said. "That's only, like, half an hour away from here, and I've got a car."

"You can move in with me." Axel suggested. "I don't care as long as you don't mind me and Roxas coming and going."

"Who're you?" Demyx asked.

"Oh!" Naminé blushed. "I'm sorry, Demyx! I didn't introduce you to anyone else…"

She introduced everyone, and Demyx and Axel launched into a conversation about being flatmates—I tuned out at 'counter sex'—that lasted until the food arrived.

End Chapter Five


	7. Denial

The man above me moaned as he lowered himself down on me—slowly, very slowly Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M due to explicit content.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Yaoi, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Six: Denial

"_You're home, where secrets are told, see a new world unfolding, where hearts are one, the pain's undone and you're finally belonging…" –Natalie Grant, 'Home'_

The man above me moaned as he lowered himself down on me—slowly, very slowly. It was an incoherent moan, but it was there, and it was deep and husky and then he lifted himself up and—oh, God, I was already seeing stars. I grabbed his shoulders roughly and pulled him into an even rougher kiss that ended with one of us biting the other. For some reason I couldn't tell which of us was biting and which was being bitten, but I blamed that on the sinful friction going on between our lower halves. I opened my eyes—why had they been closed? —and saw—

"Hayner?"

o.O.o.O.o

My eyes opened for real this time, accompanied by a gasp as I lurched upward in my bed—alone and with a boner like you wouldn't believe.

"Oh, shit." I cursed, sitting up the rest of the way and putting my head in my hands. "Oh shit oh shit oh shit."

I stood with the clear intention of taking a shower—cold or hot, it didn't matter—and was still rubbing my face when I neared the door.

Which is probably why I ran into the wall.

"Fuck." I whispered, then decided that that had been a bad choice of words when my mind supplied me with an image of Hayner pressed up against the wall, cheeks red and sweaty and gasping my name—

Bad mind, bad. Stop now.

I shook my head to clear it of the image—no matter how naughty and delicious my lower half was finding it—and continued toward the bathroom.

I reached the door—without running into anything else, I might add—opened it, and…

Couldn't decide whether I was actually seeing Hayner's wet ass or just imagining things (again).

"Seifer!" He shouted, and through my sleep-hazed mind I realized that that wasn't a pleased shout. That meant I wasn't imagining things (and Hayner really did have a nice ass). "Close the fucking door, you asshole!"

I groaned and did so, leaning my head against it and willing away all images of what had just transpired.

Predictably, the only thing that did was make the images worse…especially because now I had actually _seen_ Hayner's ass—my mind could easily imagine that the water was sweat—

Not. Thinking. About Hayner's wet ass.

Not.

…Shit…

And then Hayner opened the door, sending me sprawling forward. Lucky for me (…?), Hayner threw an arm out and caught me before I could hit the floor and (probably) get a concussion.

"You really need coffee." Hayner said, although now he sounded more amused than angry.

I grunted, then blinked up at him, squinting a little.

"Hair." I said finally.

He laughed and pulled me back up onto my feet. "Yeah, I know, it looks God-awful-weird in the mornings before it's styled. But _someone_ decided he needs to take a shower right now." He eyed me for a moment (which of course did nothing to help my hard-on go away), then pushed me toward the shower stall. "Go. Shower, before you hurt yourself. I'll make coffee."

Another grunt, this one accompanied by a jerky nod.

Hayner laughed again and left, shutting the door behind himself softly.

I turned on the water and began undressing, hissing a little as I slid off my pajama bottoms (I didn't wear underwear to bed).

"What am I, twelve?" I muttered as I got into the shower. The water was hot, and I shoved my head under the spray so the sound of running water would maybe clear out the sound of Hayner in my head.

(What would sex in the shower be like with Hayner?)

…Maybe not.

I sighed and took care of business, if you catch my drift (I am not fulfilling any more of your sexual fantasies by describing it, you horny bastards), and a few minutes later was finally able to actually take a shower.

When I stepped out of the shower and began drying myself off, that morning's dream and subsequent images had thankfully faded to the back of my mind (where they waited patiently for an inopportune moment to spring forward again, I'm sure). I pulled on my clothes, brushed my teeth, and bumped into the doorway as I left the bathroom.

Hayner met me in the kitchen doorway with a cup of coffee, this time not trying to talk to me until I'd drunk enough to care about the taste. It didn't take quite as much since I'd showered.

"You okay?" He asked as I started in on the eggs and bacon that he had fixed for breakfast.

I looked up at him with a confused frown.

"You were kind of flushed when you came in the bathroom this morning." He explained.

I felt my cheeks heat up at that, and ducked my head a little. "Wet—_weird_ dream. I had a weird dream." I said, just barely stopping myself from stuttering.

He arched an eyebrow at me. "Right, whatever."

The morning carried on as normally as was possible after having a wet dream about your new housemate, and eventually I was able to put the dream (mostly) behind me.

But _it_ happened again that night. And the next night. And for most of the nights after that, until finally I had just accepted it as some screwy fact of life…like Hayner came to accept me walking in on him in the bathroom. I wasn't doing it on purpose, either…mostly.

Anyhow, other than a few understandable problems, the _real_ trouble didn't start until one night, around the time of Haven's first birthday. Hayner and I were watching a movie together—which was strange in and of itself. In spite of living together, we only really did three things that involved any sort of contact—went to work, took care of Haven, and ate breakfast and dinner.

It might seem strange to you that we would eat those two meals together, but it really wasn't. My parents had instilled in me a strange sort of habit for 'family dinners,' as my mom called them, from the time I was young. As for why Hayner went along with it…I think that was because he _didn't_ have family dinners when he was growing up. He really…yearned for that sort of family time, even though we didn't really act like a family. At all.

…But I'm getting _way_ off subject.

So we were watching a movie together. Actually, Hayner had left work early because Haven had been fussing all day, and when I finally got off and came upstairs, he was sitting on the couch with Haven in his lap watching some movie or other. Exhausted but not sleepy (you know how that is, right?), I collapsed on the couch beside him and started watching as well.

About half an hour into the movie (or half an hour after I'd gotten there, at least) Hayner began drifting off. Haven crawled off his lap and away to explore the apartment (we had made it baby-safe several weeks before, don't worry), and eventually he fell asleep.

My couch was small. And if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, you're partly wrong. Hayner didn't droop over onto my arm—he drooped over onto the arm of the couch.

I stopped watching the movie in favor of watching the face that had been haunting (or maybe pleasuring is a better word…?) my dreams for the past few weeks. I'd always known Hayner possessed what most would call a 'baby face,' but I hadn't realized just how prominent it was until I saw him sleeping. He looked so much younger…well, no, not younger. He looked like his life had been easy instead of being as difficult as it was. Like I think he would look if his dad hadn't left him and his mom, and his mom had never started beating him, and he hadn't been left to take care of his baby sister by himself.

I couldn't help myself—I scooted closer to him. Closer. Our thighs touched. He stirred lightly, but didn't wake.

After going completely still for a moment, I leaned in even closer. I brought up a hand and put it on his cheek—he smiled and turned his head a little to nuzzle my hand in an unconscious gesture that made my heart tighten in my chest inexplicably.

I was going to leave it at that. Really, I was.

But then his tongue darted out and wet his lips, which took my attention to them.

What would it be like to actually kiss him? Would his lips feel the same as they did in my dreams? Better? Worse?

I worried my bottom lip with my teeth for a moment, and then—once more making sure he was still asleep—I bent over and pressed my lips against his. It was a ghostly touch; I could barely feel the pressure of it myself. The corner of his mouth tilted up and he sighed contentedly. I kissed him again, with a little more pressure.

"S'fer…" He said.

I jumped back, eyes wide. And then, when he didn't do anything else, my brain registered the fact that that hadn't been a 'Seifer, if you don't stop kissing me I will cut off your testicles and feed them to a hamster' sound. It was a 'Seifer, if you _stop_ kissing me I will cut off your testicles and feed them to a hamster' sound.

In other words, a _good_ sound.

He shifted and moaned, his face turning toward me as if he was searching for my mouth. The thought made me smirk ever so slightly. I started to lean forward again…

"Dada!"

I'll admit it—I squeaked. I was startled, damn it.

"Dada, Dada, Dada!" Haven burbled cheerfully, clapping her hands.

My eyes widened and I poked Hayner's arm. "Hayner."

"Mmm." He groaned.

"Chickenwuss, wake the fuck up!" I said, pinching his side.

"Sixty-nine!" He yelped, jerking awake.

Haven giggled and held her hands out toward him. "Dada!"

"Wha?" Hayner blinked.

"She's talking!" I said, unable to keep the smile off of my face. "Haven's talking, Hayner! She said 'dada!'"

"Dada!" Haven squealed acquiescently, delighted by her mastery of the word.

"You're talking!" Hayner exclaimed, as if I hadn't just told him that, and scooped her up, practically leaping off the couch as he did it and swinging her around. "You're talking you're talking you're talking!"

"Dada!"

I stood, too, both of us whooping and hollering and jumping and cheering as Haven obliged us by showing off her new talent proudly.

That, of course, is when the trouble started—I was so caught up in the celebration that I wasn't able to catch myself in time when I put an arm around Hayner's waist and pulled him into a kiss.

I didn't realize what I was doing until he made a funny noise in the back of his throat. The sound made me pull back with a gasp. We stared at each other.

"Dada!" Haven said.

We returned our attention to her and went on like nothing had happened.

End Chapter Six


	8. Owning Up

Chapter Seven: Acceptance Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Yaoi, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Seven: Owning Up

"It's twisted, messed up, and the more I think about it…it's crazy, but so what? I'm caught up and I'm hanging on; I wanna love you even if it's wrong—even if it's twisted." –Carrie Underwood, 'Twisted'

"So how long have you been in love with him?"

I looked up at Demyx and scowled.

"The fuck are you talking about?" I asked as I went back to clearing off the table across from the booth he was sitting at.

"Hayner." He said. "How long have you been in love with him?"

"Where the hell do you _pull_ this shit from, lamer? I'm not in love with the chickenwuss." I said.

"Sure you are." He giggled—a high-pitched sound that made me want to punch him in the nose (or maybe the neck so he would hopefully shut up). "I can tell."

"Mhm." I grunted skeptically.

"No, really." He said earnestly. "I mean, why else would you protect him like you do? And don't think I can't tell that that's what you're doing—I know it is. Like the other day when I almost said goodbye to him and you punched my arm—I've got a bruise from that, by the way. Naminé told me how Hayner reacts when people say goodbye. Plus, she said you forced him to move in with you after those jerks beat him up in front of Haven. And I've heard him complain to Roxas about the way you took over things when his ankle was hurt." He stopped talking for a moment (he never stopped talking for long, the chatty little son of a bitch). "How long have you been taking care of him?"

I stopped wiping the table, counting to five slowly before I finally just threw the rag down and turned on him.

"Listen up, lamer." I growled. "Whatever in the fuck you've convinced yourself I'm doing, you're wrong. I don't protect Hayner and I don't take care of him. If I do act different around him, or what the fuck ever you think I do, it's because of Haven and my own stupid-ass morals. Now quit acting like you fucking know me, because you don't know any fucking thing at all about me and to be _quite_ frank I don't care to let you find anything out. So back the fuck off before I beat your pretty little face to a bloody pulp."

"It's been at least a year." He mused as if I hadn't spoken, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure he's the one you were talking to in the bathroom that day, and when I walked in it didn't sound really like you were fighting like everyone says you do."

I gave him a blank look.

"Last year I came here for a music competition." He explained. "I was just about to leave after I practiced so I could get used to the acoustics of the gym, and I went to the bathroom and you were there and told me that if I didn't leave you'd make me eat my sitar. You said you were talking to someone, and I'm almost completely positive it was Hayner."

"Would you just go the fuck away?" I asked. "Can't you take a fucking hint? I don't love friggin Hayner March, and even if I did I wouldn't tell _you_."

"Why not? I'm his brother—seems like a pretty good person to tell, if you ask me." He said with a sunny grin.

"His _half_ brother." I spat. "The half-brother whose mother stole his father, which made his mother fucking _beat_ him for twelve fucking years until she finally _died_ bringing the best thing that's ever happened to him into his life. So don't talk to me like I owe you any fucking favors, kid, because I sure as hell don't."

His smile finally left his face as he stared at me with wide eyes.

"Now." I grabbed his collar and pulled him up so that our faces were close together. "If you don't leave me the fuck alone, I swear to all that is holy and most that isn't that I will beat you so badly your whore of a mother will wish you were dead just so you won't be in any more fucking pain. And that _still_ wouldn't be enough for you to know the _hell_ Hayner's been through thanks to you and your fucking parents. Now, do we have an understanding, or should we take this outside?"

He shook his head vigorously, finally looking frightened.

"Seifer Warren Almasy!"

My head snapped toward my mother, who was standing with her hands on her hips and giving me the only scowl that _ever_ put the fear of God in me.

"What on Earth do you think you're doing?" She demanded in her no-nonsense tone.

"Nothing, Mom." I said, straightening and backing away from Demyx. "Nothing, I swear."

"Uhuh." She said disbelievingly before she turned to Demyx. "Are you alright, dear?"

Demyx nodded wordlessly, still watching me warily from the corner of his eye as he straightened his collar nervously.

"Don't let Seifer bother you, Demyx." She said, ruffling his hair. "He's mostly just talk."

"Mostly." Demyx repeated shakily.

"Hey, Mrs. Dincht!" Hayner said as he entered the restaurant, Haven balanced on his hip. "I came to pick up Dem."

"Are you boys going somewhere?" She asked as she kissed his cheek and Haven's forehead.

"It's the second Sunday of the month." He explained. The second Sunday of the month was the day he and all of his friends gathered for their monthly lunch together no matter what was going on in their lives. They had only missed one as far as I could tell, and that was the weekend that Haven was born. "Oh! Haven, show Mrs. Dincht what you learned last night."

Haven threw her arms up, excited to show off her new talent. "Dada!" She squealed.

"She's talking!" Mom exclaimed, stealing her away from Hayner and twirling her around. "That's so wonderful! Oh, you're just the smartest little girl!" She threw an arm around my shoulder. "My Seifer didn't talk until he was four years old—I was sure he was mute until the doctors told me he just didn't want to talk."

Hayner laughed. "What did he say?"

She blinked. Actually…I don't think she had ever said what my first words were—usually the only thing she mentioned about it was that I'd begun talking so late in life.

"Well, let's see…" She mused. "What were your first words, sweetie?"

"_I_ don't remember." I shrugged.

"I remember!" She snapped her fingers. "It was right after your mom got her job here, Hayner, and she brought you two here when she came to work. And Seifer came up to me and said…how did you put it, Seifer? Ah! He said: 'Mommy, this is Hayner. I'm gonna marry him when I grow up.'" She giggled and pinched my cheek. "It was so cute!"

Needless to say, I turned red. Really red.

Surprisingly (well, maybe not so surprisingly), Hayner did, too.

"I thought Hayner was going to cry when I told you boys couldn't marry each other." She smiled at me. "And then you told him you'd just beat up anyone who told you that you couldn't get married. You two were just so adorable." She put a hand on her cheek with a rather nostalgic sigh. "I almost cried when you started fighting after Joseph left. It was so…so very sad." She pursed her lips for a moment, then smiled again, passing Haven back to her brother. "But I won't keep you anymore with my silly babbling, hon. Seifer, would you like to go, too?"

"You should come!" Demyx encouraged when I hesitated.

I pinned him with a nasty glare that made his mouth snap shut.

"Just go, sweetie." Mom said, pulling on the string of my apron to untie it. "We're never really busy on Sundays, and I can just call you if we pick up."

I rolled my eyes. She was in one of her 'you're going whether you want to or not' moods.

"I'll see you in a few hours, Mom." I said, kissing her cheek obligingly when she offered it to me.

She waved cheerfully, bade Hayner and Demyx goodbye, and retreated back into the kitchen.

"C'mere, scamp." I said, gently taking Haven from Hayner. She hummed happily and snuggled into my arms.

"So, you're gonna marry Hayner, huh?" Demyx teased as we left the restaurant.

I frowned at him. "If you think holding a baby will stop me from kicking your ass, you're in for a hell of a surprise."

He blanched.

"Seifer, if you kick Demyx's ass while you're holding Haven, I'll kick _your_ ass." Hayner said.

Demyx gave him a grateful smile.

"At least give her to me first so she won't get all bloody." Hayner continued with an impish wink at his brother.

I snickered at the expression on Demyx's face. "Right."

"You two really _should_ get married. You deserve each other." Demyx pouted. "Assholes."

"We would also probably kill each other within ten minutes of saying 'I do.'" Hayner said. "In case you hadn't noticed, we don't exactly get along together very well."

"I hadn't noticed that at all." Demyx insisted. "I think you already act like an old married couple, with the way you're always arguing and taking care of Haven in the same breath. The only thing that would be different is that you'd be having sex."

I choked on air as Hayner turned such a bright shade of red that he put Axel's hair to shame.

"Do you possess _any_ sort of brain-to-mouth filter?" I gasped out. "Fucking hell!"

"No, fucking Hayner." Demyx corrected with a wide grin.

"I'm beginning to see why you want to kick his ass so badly." Hayner murmured.

"Are you giving me permission?" I asked, a little disappointed when I noticed that our banter wasn't scaring Demyx as badly as it had seemed to earlier.

"I might be." He replied, eyeing Demyx thoughtfully.

"_There_ they are!" Olette exclaimed as we rounded the corner where the pizza place was (they took a vote to see where they would eat, and this place usually won, although they'd eaten at the restaurant a few times). "What took you guys so long?"

"We got caught up talking to Seifer's mom." Hayner said.

"I'm gonna go take a piss." I said as I passed Haven to him.

"Didn't need to know that." Pence said as he made a face.

"Whatever, puss." I headed to the bathroom before he could reply and returned in time to hear Hayner say:

"C'mon, Haven! Why is it that you'll only do it when—"

"Dada!" Haven chirped, and reached her arms out towards me.

I tripped on nothing as everyone turned to look at me.

"—Seifer is around." Hayner finished softly, his jaw clenching.

"Uh…?" I said dumbly.

"Dada!" Haven said again, insistently this time.

"No no no no no no no!" I shook my head. "I am _not_ your dad, Haven! Hayner is! I mean…I'm not…what the fuck?"

"It's so sweet!" Kairi gushed as Hayner practically shoved Haven into my arms. "She thinks you're her dad!"

Even though Haven had obviously wanted me to hold her, she was giving Hayner a distressed look now, wriggling in my arms.

"Would you just decide who you want to hold you?" Hayner asked rather harshly.

She withdrew with a tiny whimper, bottom lip quivering as she buried her face in the crook of my shoulder.

"Hayner, don't be an ass." I said, shifting the now sniffing Haven to one arm so I could put my free hand on my hip. "She's just a baby for fuck's sake—she doesn't know any better!"

"Yeah, so?" He demanded. "We've only been living with you for a few weeks, and _you're_ her first word? She's calling you 'dad' like _you're_ the one raising her? I'm busting my fucking ass off to take care of her, and she…Goddammit, I can't _do_ this right now!"

"Quit being so fucking selfish, chickenwuss!" I spat.

"I'm being selfish?" He practically screeched. "_I'm_ being selfish?"

"Yes, you are! You should be happy that she's talking no matter what her first word is or who she's calling what! If you keep acting like this you might make her think she shouldn't talk at all! Do you really want that?"

"Of course I don't!"

"Then suck it up and apologize to your little sister." I said.

Hayner looked at the girl in question, who had pulled the collar of my jacket as far over her head as it would go while we were fighting.

"Haven?" He ventured softly.

She shook her head, and we heard her start to cry. My glare intensified.

"Oh, Haven…I'm so sorry." Hayner put a hand on her back. "Come on, sweetie, look at me."

She let my collar drop and looked at him, sniffling as she stuffed her thumb in her mouth.

"I'm sorry, baby." He said, reaching toward her again.

She leaned back, wrapping her free arm around my neck.

"Haven, go on." I said softly, reaching up and taking her arm away.

She shook her head again, giving me a pitiful look.

"I am _not_ getting in the middle of a family spat." I said, holding her out toward Hayner.

"It's like 'hot potato,' only with a baby." Axel snickered when Hayner took her.

"Dada!" She whined and wiggled around in Hayner's grasp, grabbing at me with her hands.

"No! I'm not your freaking dad!" I said.

She scowled at me (shit, did we really spend _that_ much time together?) and turned to Hayner, yanking on his vest insistently.

"Mama!" She said, pointing an accusing finger at me with one hand while she continued tugging with the other. "Mama, Dada!"

"…"

Demyx broke the shocked silence with a cackling laugh.

"See?" He asked. "_She_ thinks you should get married, too!"

"That's it." I snarled, then drew back my arm and punched him hard in the nose.

He fell back with a squawk, holding his bleeding nose as he hit the floor.

"Now stop fucking telling me to admit that I love Hayner, because I swear to God if you say it one more damn time I'll give you more than just a bloody nose!" I gritted out furiously.

"You din' habta break my dose." He retorted.

"Obviously I did, because you wouldn't take the fucking hint." I said.

"You _do_ lub him." He said as Naminé handed him a handkerchief.

"You think I don't _know_ that?" I demanded.

Everyone went quiet and gaped at me incredulously—even Demyx.

"Did it _ever_ cross your fucking mind that I didn't _want_ him to know, you stupid, oblivious, mother fucking bastard?" I asked. "And if you _must_ know, I've been protecting him for twelve fucking years—ever since your bastard father left him at his mother's mercy! Because if I hadn't kicked his fucking ass every time he had an argument with his mom, _she_ would've done it instead! And I'd rather he hated me for being an ass than have his mom beat out the only good left in him thanks to you and your slut of a mother!"

No one spoke.

"You think I fucking _wanted_ to be like I have been for the past twelve years? I would've _loved_ to be able to spar with him _just_ _once_ without having to worry that if I hit him there I might crack a rib his mom bruised, or if I put him in a stranglehold he'd have a panic attack because she tried to fucking suffocate him when he was eight. There are _rules_, Demyx—_six_ rules that I have conformed to for twelve fucking long-ass years so I could try to limit all the shit she's tried to do to him!"

"Siggs…rules?" Demyx repeated slowly.

"Yes, six." I snapped, and began ticking them off on my fingers. "Don't say goodbye, don't mention his father, pick a fight with him if he says 'Mama' instead of 'Mom,' watch where you hit him, let him break out of strangleholds, and if any of the first three rules are broken don't hold anything back except stuff from rule five. _Rules_."

"Seifer…" Hayner said quietly.

"Don't." I ran a hand through my hair. "Just…Jesus, just leave me the fuck alone."

I turned and fled from the pizza parlor without letting anyone try to stop me.

End Chapter Eight


	9. My Turn, Dammit

"So you're the one 'protecting' that little bitch, are you Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Yaoi, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Eight: My Turn, Dammit

"This is the slam, this is the one; we gonna do it like it ain't been done before. This is the slam, this is the one; we gonna bring it like it ain't been brung! This is the slam, this is the one; we gonna do it like it ain't been done before. This is the slam this is the one; We gonna spring you like you ain't been sprung!" –Tobymac, 'The Slam'

"So you're the one 'protecting' that little bitch, are you?"

I turned the fierce glare I was wearing onto the speaker, one of those ratty looking fellows who is only tough shit when they have a knife or a gun to hide behind.

"The fuck are you talking about?" I asked.

"Hayner March." Another boy dropped down off of a dumpster. "You're the one who's supposed to be protecting him, right?"

"Who the fuck wants to know?" I asked.

"We do." The second guy sneered. "We heard you've been asking about us."

My gaze hardened as I realized who they were. "You're the ones who beat up Hayner, aren't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"We're part of the same group." The first one said. "And we aren't done with him yet—he won't get away with beating up our boss so easily. So just tell us where he is so we can finish what we started."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "And if I don't?"

"Then we'll have to beat it out of you." This third voice came from behind me, and when I turned I found it belonged to a big, bulging hulk of a man who was being flanked by three or four more guys.

I cocked my head to one side. "You'll try." I smirked, and without waiting for any more attempted banter from them punched the third guy in the gut. When he doubled over, I brought up a knee and smashed it into his face, then grabbed his hair and used his upward momentum to force him into the wall with a nasty crack of skull hitting brick.

As he crumpled to the ground, I turned on the other two thugs, who had apparently been startled into silence by my display. I gave them a savage grin and cracked my knuckles.

"So, who's next?" I asked.

Part of me (the biggest part of me) wants to lie and say there was an epic battle following this, which ended with me as the unchallenged and unscathed winner except for a few scrapes and bruises that only made me even more dashingly handsome than before.

Unfortunately, I can't. Remember what I said about loser number one? He's only tough shit when he's…yeah. Hiding behind a knife or a gun.

In this case, it was a gun, and the bastard shot me without any sort of speech, which any good fighter knows is just common courtesy.

Rude bastard.

Of course, it's also considered impolite in most places to bring a gun to a fistfight in the first place.

Luckily, I had fought Hayner often enough that a little pain didn't bother me as much as it would some others (okay, a _lot_ of pain, but I was ignoring that, remember?). Also, he was a horrible shot and only managed to hit my right arm just above my elbow.

I shot forward (no pun intended) and pushed his gun arm up, punching him in the neck and thoroughly winding him. I would have done more damage to him, but the second boy chose this time to grab my injured arm and push a finger into the wound.

Fuck, that hurt.

I howled from the pain and punched at him with my left arm, but he moved away, the other guys flanking him and all of them giving me malevolent grins.

"Back off of Seifer, y'know!"

Rai came barreling in out of nowhere, tackling the guy to the ground.

The guy I had been holding kicked me away pretty easily, since my hold had loosened when the other guy attacked, but I just stumbled back into Fuu's waiting arms.

She winked at me. "Gunshot." She explained, tugging on her ear.

"I'm beginning to think that your ears are the best thing God ever created, Fuu." I said as I regained my balance.

She smiled minutely, then kicked the gun away from the guy I'd been holding, who had held it up at us. She wagged a finger at him.

"No cheating." She said, then punched him in the jaw with a rather sickening crunch. Fuu might have looked like a skinny little girl, but she hung out with Rai and me, which meant she could hold more than her own in a fight. Actually, sometimes I thought Rai only fought so well so that he could keep up with her.

But I'm getting off subject.

While Rai dispatched the second guy, the last three goons were closing in on Fuu and me. What followed was several moves that could've been in a movie but are a little difficult to explain on paper. For the sake of letting you know what was going down without boring you, let's just say that I threw Fuu at one of the guys, head butted another, and then we both punched the last guy. It might sound easy enough to you, but again, that was the highly simplified version.

"Is your arm alright, y'know?" Rai asked as he finally let the guy he'd been wailing on crumple to the floor.

"It'll be okay." I said, holding my arm up to look at it. "The bullet went straight through, and it missed all the bones."

"Hospital." Fuu said, holding up her phone and walking out of the alleyway to make the call.

"You better tell her to call a funeral home instead."

We turned to that mammoth of a guy whose ass I'd kicked first, who had apparently woken up and gotten his hands on the gun.

"Which one of you wants to go first?" He asked with a malicious smile.

I scowled at him, clenching my uninjured hand into a tight fist. My other arm was going a little numb by this point, and I was getting just a teensy bit woozy.

And then I gaped as Rai stepped in front of me and held his arms out protectively.

"You can't hurt Seifer, y'know?" He said stubbornly. "Just go away, y'know?"

The guy's smile just widened. "Looks like we have a winner, then!" He pulled the trigger before either of us could react, and Rai fell back into me with a choked gasp.

"RAI!" Fuu screamed as she raced back into the alley, kicking the murderous bully's wrist with so much force that I think she broke it, the gun falling to the floor as he did the same with an ear-splitting scream. She picked up the gun and pointed it at him, only shaking a little. "Back off."

"You won't shoot me." He challenged, sticking his jaw out in a daring manner.

Without hesitating, she shot his right knee. "_Back off_!" She hissed.

He gaped at her for a moment, then pressed himself tightly against the wall she cocked the gun again.

She turned to us, throwing the gun into a nearby garbage bin and running to Rai's side, taking him from me and cradling him to her chest. "Rai? Oh, Rai…"

"I think he'll be okay." I said as I grabbed one of his hands. "You called the hospital, right?"

She nodded wordlessly, letting out a strangled sob.

"It'll…it'll be okay, Fuu." I said, trying to blink the black spots out of my vision.

"Seifer?" She asked, suddenly giving me a worried look.

I just shook my head, squeezing Rai's hand as the oddly muffled sound of an ambulance reached my ears.

I think she said something else, but even if it was only one word as it usually was I couldn't make it out as I fell back into a dead faint.

o.O.o.O.o

When I woke up…my body was tingling.

And it wasn't the good 'I just got laid' tingling, either. This was the 'oh, shit, I'm on some kinda drugs and I dunno what they are' kind of tingling.

And just so you know, I _hated_ drugs. I'd seen way too many people addicted to that sort of shit to want to get involved with them, especially because being dependent on _anything_ rubbed me all sorts of wrong ways.

Anyhow, I opened my eyes blearily, my head feeling entirely too fuzzy for comfort as it slowly registered the sound of my mom crying nearby.

"Mom?" I rasped as I tried to blink the sleep out of my eyes.

"Seifer!" She exclaimed, and I was swept up into her arms in a way that had my arm throbbing even through the painkillers.

"Selphie, let him go—you're hurting him." My dad's voice chuckled.

"Hush, Zell." Mom snapped without really meaning it, though she did set me down. "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"'M alright." I yawned. "What do they have me on?"

"I told them you wouldn't want any painkillers." Dad said smugly.

"I said _hush_, Zell." Mom replied, giving him a stern look. "Oh, Seifer, I was so worried when they called! They said you'd been shot in a fight, and I just…God, I was so scared I was going to lose you!"

"It was guys from the same group that attacked Hayner." I said.

"We know. We're going to take them to jail once they've recovered." Dad said. He was a cop, by the way. "We're hoping that they'll give us the names of the boys who attacked Hayner as part of a plea bargain or something."

"We have to get these kids off the streets." Mom said, a fierce look in her eyes. "I'm not going to let them hurt any more of the people I love!" She kissed my forehead. "I was so proud when they told me you, Rai, and Fuu kicked their asses!"

My eyes widened a little. "How's Rai?" I asked.

"He's out of critical condition and recovering." She said. "He still hasn't woken up, but the doctors say he should wake up within the next few days, and be ready to leave the hospital in a few weeks."

"And Fuu?" I asked.

"Besides being scared to death about you two, she's fine." Mom said, ruffling my hair. "You've made some really great friends, sweetie."

I nodded. "They saved my life, back there. Especially Rai. He stood in front of me when one of the guys held up a gun at us." I felt a knot rise up in my throat. "He'd better not die, or I'll _kill_ someone."

"You'll have to take a number." Mom said. "Those boys sure as hell better hope the police get them out of here before I find out their room numbers."

"They'd better hope I'm not one of the ones that has to transfer them." Dad agreed with an expression that told me he'd like nothing more than that.

"The chief won't let you near them." I chuckled.

"Yeah, I know." He sighed dramatically, then plopped down beside me. "Way to go, though, chickenwuss. I knew I had to have done _something_ right when I raised you."

"_You_ raised him?" Mom asked. "Ha! The only hand _you_ had in raising him was teaching him those ridiculous names! Chickenwuss…hmph!"

Dad just grinned.

"How long was I under?" I asked.

"Only a day." Mom said, then pursed her lips at me. "We had to close the restaurant last night thanks to you! One of our busiest nights, too!"

"Sorry to be such a burden, Mom." I drawled. "Next time I'll be sure to get shot when it's more convenient for you, okay?"

"If you _ever_ get yourself shot again, tell them not to bother calling me because I'll kill you myself." She said completely seriously.

I nodded. "I really am sorry, Mom." I said, putting my hand over hers.

She teared up. "God, I was so scared I'd lost you, honey." She said. "And poor Hayner was beside himself—he and Demyx both blame themselves, for some reason."

I snorted, knowing the exact reason but not entirely certain I wanted to tell her.

"They should be here in a few minutes, actually." Dad said.

"Hayner stayed here all night, would you believe?" Mom asked. "He even punched one of the doctors when they tried to make him leave when visiting hours ended, though we did manage to talk him into letting us take Haven home."

"It was _adorable_." Dad said in an obvious (but still very bad) impression of Mom.

"It _was_!" Mom said, reaching across my bed and slapping his arm. "He was holding your hand and everything! I've never seen anything so sweet!"

I blushed.

"Seifer?"

I looked up—Hayner was standing in the doorway, and Demyx was standing behind him. Demyx was holding Haven.

I waved my uninjured arm at him hesitantly. "Hey, lamer."

His jaw clenched, and he strode forward with an expression on his face that made me think he was going to punch me.

"You're an idiot." He said, poking my chest angrily. "You're a sarcastic asshole and you're rude and your temper's even shorter than mine and you've always—_always_—known just what to say when you want to piss me off." His eyes narrowed. "I should hate you. Things were a lot easier when I hated you. _Life_ was easier. But I _don't_ hate you. I _can't_ hate you."

"Look, Hayner…" I began.

"You shut up, Seifer." He snapped. "You got your chance to rant yesterday, and now it's my turn." He paused, trying to recollect his thoughts. "You're so…you just have to complicate _everything_, don't you? Didn't it _ever_ occur to you that it would've been just as easy—easier, even—to keep me away from my mom if we were _friends_ instead of always beating me up?"

I blinked.

"You've been confusing me ever since Haven was born. You just…you completely changed. It was like you woke up one morning and decided you didn't feel like being such an ass anymore. I was totally thrown for a while, and then I started thinking about when we used to get along, before my dad left, and it was like the old Seifer—the _really_ old Seifer—was back again. The Seifer…the Seifer I used to be in love with." He looked away from me. "I mean, as in love as kids can be, y'know? And when you blew up at Demyx yesterday…you never changed, did you? It was just me that changed, because of my parents." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "And then you kissed me the other day, and I…shit. I'm saying all this wrong. I'm not good with words and stuff."

"You don't have to—" I tried to speak again.

"I said _shut up_." He said, putting his hands over my mouth and glaring at me until I clamped my mouth shut. He released me with another sigh. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you too, you complete and utter dumbass."

I stared at him for a moment, then grinned as his words began registering in my head.

His scowl returned. "And if you _ever_ fucking scare me like you did yesterday again, I'll…I'll shove a gun so far up your ass you'll shoot somebody every time you open your mouth!"

"Only until it runs out of bullets." I said, unable to wipe the undoubtedly goofy grin off my face.

He rolled his eyes. "Moron." He said, then shoved a paper cup at me that I hadn't noticed him holding. "Here. I brought you coffee from home. The stuff they have around here tastes like shit and cardboard."

I kept grinning.

"And I smuggled in some food in Haven's diaper bag." He babbled on, like he usually did when he was nervous. "I don't know how they expect you to get better with the stuff they serve around here, but after all the hell you've put us through I'm not gonna let you die over something stupid like food poisoning."

More grinning.

"I brought clothes so you don't have to go home in that stupid hospital gown." He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "Although it's about time I saw your ass after all the times you've walked in on me in the bathroom."

Mom giggled. I grinned some more.

"And I brought that book you've been reading because they didn't tell us how long you were gonna stay here—"

"Hayner." I cut him off.

"Yeah?" He asked.

I grabbed his shirt and yanked him down to my level. "Would you just shut up and fucking kiss me, already?"

He did.

End Chapter Eight


	10. In Which Lady Fate Says: 'Fuck You'

Life was good Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M due to explicit content. PLEASE MIND THE RATING, FOLKS! Thanks!

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Yaoi, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Nine: In Which Lady Fate Says 'Fuck You'

"_Hold on, baby, you're losing it. The water's high, you're jumping into it and letting go... and no one knows that you cry, but you don't tell anyone that you might not be the golden one; and you're tied together with a smile but you're coming undone." –Taylor Swift, 'Tied Together With a Smile'_

Life was good.

Scratch that. Life was fucking _amazing_.

Haven had progressed into that stage of talking where you _kind of_ know what a toddler is talking about, but mostly they're still just chattering at you. And, in spite of Hayner's constant whining about it, she still called him 'Mommy' and me 'Daddy.' She had also started walking, which made us ecstatic.

Rai and I got out of the hospital just fine. Fuu and Rai acted so lovey-dovey I could hardly stand it (how does that even work when one of them only speaks in monosyllables and the other ends everything with 'y'know?'), but Hayner had worried about me so much when I got out that I could almost understand.

Hayner's fussing made me feel all girly and shit. You know, with the fluttering heartstrings and what the fuck ever women are always going on about. It was kind of nice to be taken care of, and it was _beyond_ nice that it was Hayner doing the caring.

Our relationship was odd. And not just because we had been rivals for so long, either. For some reason, that actually didn't affect it all that much. No, the odd part was that we were two full-blooded, hormonal (read: horny) males who lived together, but we still hadn't had sex.

The weirdest part about all that was that it was a mutual decision. It wasn't like it came up in conversation a lot or anything, it was just something that we sort of silently agreed on. We wanted to wait, so we did—we hadn't even officially moved into one bedroom, though we ended up sleeping in one or the other more often than not.

I don't know what we were waiting on, but we weren't exactly abstinent even if there was no actual 'penetration' (that makes it sound really weird, by the way). We touched, explored, groped, gave each other blow jobs, and just generally used the time to find things out about each other sexually. Like if I so much as brushed a finger across the space just behind Hayner's ear he would practically attack me. And being attacked turned me on. A lot.

We weren't just finding those sorts of things out about each other, either. I found that Hayner's favorite dates were ones that involved roller coasters or anything else that got his adrenaline pumping. Mine were the quieter ones where I didn't have to feel weird about holding his hand or kissing him.

And yes, I'm easily embarrassed by stuff like that. I don't really do the PDA thing. Hayner does, though, and he made it his mission to get me used to doing things in public.

He was absolutely ruthless about it, too. In public it was no holds barred with him, and it drove me crazy. Lots of times it led to fights once we got back to the apartment, which inevitably led to making out and oftentimes a little more than making out, if you know what I mean. Those fights brought on some of our best 'moments'—which might have been part of why he teased me so much when we were out.

But, just like it had all the other times when I finally got used to our relationship, things changed again. Don't be impatient, now, I'm going to tell you what happened.

I got home late that night because Mom forced me to close the restaurant. By 'late' I mean about midnight or so. I was feeling kind of annoyed because usually when I closed Hayner would come down and talk to me and help, but this time he didn't. Lazy bastard.

I collapsed on the couch as soon as I got in, too tired to go to the bedroom, and closed my eyes. Before I could drift off to sleep, something…well, someone…well, Hayner…straddled my lap.

I turned my head away from him stubbornly when he tried to kiss me, but he just kissed my neck instead, completely undeterred.

"Your mom's keeping Haven tonight." He whispered, nibbling lightly on my ear.

"Yeah, so?" I asked, hoping he couldn't tell how much he was actually affecting me. "I'm tired, Hayner."

He hummed vaguely and rolled his hips down into mine. "You don't feel tired to me."

"Well I am." I snapped, trying half-heartedly to push him off.

He pouted at me a little, then nuzzled my cheek with his nose. "Don't be mad, Seifer. I've spend all night trying to psyche myself up for this."

I pulled back suspiciously. "For what?"

He gave me that sheepish smile of his that he only used when he was pretending to be innocent. "For letting you make love to me."

_That_ got my full attention (in every sense of the word).

I licked my lips and gulped nervously.

"Yes, I'm sure." He said before I could ask, nipping my bottom lip teasingly. "I've been _preparing_ myself for a few hours, now."

Oh, God, that was hot.

He pressed our foreheads together, smirking lazily at me. "And I'm not wearing any underwear."

"Shit." I shuddered, and tried to kiss him. He leaned away from me, then wriggled his way off of my lap.

"But if you're tired…" He sighed, turning and walking toward his room with that little swing in his hips that he _knew_ drove me crazy.

Before _I_ even knew what I was doing, I had slammed him against a wall, forcing our lips together in a bruising kiss that had teeth clashing and noses twisting and tongues fighting. I pinned his arms against the wall with my hands, his body with mine in a way that made both of us groan. When I finally (regretfully) pulled away, his lips were swollen and pulled up into a wanton smile that made me think he had been planning all of this ever since he left work.

"Fucking tease." I said, moving in to kiss him again.

His smile just widened, and he met me halfway, whimpering softly when I overlooked his lips in favor of kissing his jaw line all the way back to _that_ spot behind his ear. He gasped, bucking against me and throwing his head back with a loud crack as it hit the wall.

"Your room or mine?" I asked, biting the spot. The look on his face let me know that he would have been perfectly satisfied if I took him right there, even if we both knew we would regret it the next day.

"Mine." He bit out, then reversed our positions by attacking me, crashing us into his bedroom door as he did. I reached back and opened it, nearly sending us to the floor, but we managed to keep our balance until he'd pushed me back against my bed. Somehow I lost my socks and shoes during this time, and our wandering, groping hands made quick work of our shirts.

We tumbled down onto it, and in the confusion I flipped us over, kissing him again. He only fought me a little this time, more concerned with loosening my belt and unbuttoning my pants than trying to take control. He reached in, under my boxers, and grabbed me, and I choked back a cry as my hips jerked.

"You're so hot." He whispered against my lips as he squeezed me and rolled his thumb over the tip. "You're making _me_ so hot."

Another discovery I had made: Hayner was very vocal during sex (or fooling around, as the case may be).

"I can't _wait_ to finally feel this in me." He emphasized 'this' with a rough tug.

"Shit, Hayner." I said, and pulled away from him before he could end things too soon (which he could very well have done, as enthusiastic as he was being) even though most of me wanted him to do just that.

I got up long enough to push my pants and boxers off, then crawled back up his body and kissed him lightly, reaching down to cup him through his pants (and, presumably, only those) as I kissed down his body. We both knew where this was going, and he bucked desperately when I paused to lick and bite and suck on his nipples until they were hard.

"Just _do_ it." He growled as I reached under him and ran my finger along the line of his ass.

"You're still wearing pants." I chortled.

"Then get them the fuck off me!" He ordered, lifting his hips to help me along.

I laughed and undid them—God, he _wasn't_ wearing underwear—pulling them down and off. "Eager, are we?"

"You have no fucking idea." He said, pulling me down and kissing me hard as he wrapped his bare legs around my waist. "Now _do it_."

I brought three fingers to his mouth. "Suck."

"Make me." He said obstinately. We were the only couple I knew that would bother to argue like this over something we both wanted.

I reached between us with another hand and ran my finger up the underside of his penis.

"Seifer…"

"Suck." I said again.

This time he didn't argue, latching on and sucking powerfully on my fingers in a way all too familiar to certain other parts of my anatomy. I ground my teeth together as he swirled his tongue around my fingers and deemed them slick enough to do their job, pulling them out of his mouth with a small 'pop!' I reached around him and found that tight ring of muscles with practiced ease, pushing a finger in and gasping when he immediately clenched around me.

"I thought you said you were preparing yourself all this time." I said.

"I—I was." He gasped out, squeezing hard on my biceps with his hands.

How could he be _this_ _tight_, then?

"God, would you hurry up?" He gritted out when I pressed another finger into him.

I arched an eyebrow at him, but added a third finger soon after—a lot sooner than I normally would have.

He threw an arm out suddenly and grasped at something on the stand beside my bed. A moment later he was putting a too cold and too wet hand around me.

"If you had lube why'd you—?" I asked.

"Because you think it's sexy." He gasped out, smirking at me as he slapped my hand away with one hand while bringing me closer with the other. "Now _go_."

"You're so good to me somet—oh, God." I said as I pushed into him. Shit, shit, shit, he was so fucking tight and hot and I could've come right then. I would've, if I had any less control than I did.

He hissed, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. I saw a tear force its way out.

"Hayner?" I whispered brokenly, hardly able to keep myself from moving.

"I'll get used to it." He said. "Please, just move."

I nodded jerkily and pulled almost all of the way out, thrusting back in and making us both moan loudly. His was mostly pain and mine was mostly pleasure, but a few more thrusts and he was echoing me, meeting me halfway and practically sobbing when I finally hit his prostate a few thrusts later. I zeroed in on that spot, hissing as he clawed at my back and wondering very, very vaguely how good it must have felt for him if it turned him into this babbling, inarticulate mess. Mostly I couldn't wonder anything at all because I knew _exactly_ how it felt for me, and I kept thrusting harder and harder and reaching between us with one hand to help him along. And then we were both coming hard and fast and white and hot and wet, and screaming was too weak a word for the way we called out each others' names as he spilled himself across our stomachs and I spilled inside of him.

He went limp against the bed, both of us gasping for air. After a few moments to regain my breath and my bearings, I dropped a light kiss against his forehead, pulled out, and fell sideways onto the bed, grunting when the jolt caused the new wounds on my back to twinge with pain muted by the sated euphoria I was feeling.

"Love you." I wrapped my arms around him, closed my eyes, and had almost fallen asleep when I heard an odd sound from the man in my arms. "Hayner?"

His shoulders shook, and I realized with a start that he was _crying_.

"Hayner? Hayner, what's wrong? I didn't hurt you, did I?" I asked, propping myself up on an elbow so I could look over him at his face.

He shook his head, eyes screwed shut. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." He choked out.

"What are you sorry about? That was…that was fucking _amazing_."

"No, I…God, I'm such an idiot." He said, putting a hand over his face.

"Didn't you enjoy it? I mean, do you regret it?"

He shook his head again. "No, no it was wonderful. I just…I feel like I'm leading you on."

Everything stopped.

"Leading…me on?" I asked slowly, feeling the color drain out of my face.

"I have to…I have to leave, Seifer." He said. "And I don't think I'll be able to come back."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, grabbing his face and turning it toward me. "Hayner, open your eyes and _look at me_."

He did, his hazel eyes glossy with tears.

"Tell me what's going on, dammit." I said.

"I'm sorry." He rasped.

"You can't just…do _this_ and then leave without explaining things to me!" I said.

He shook his head miserably. "I…I can't. I'm leaving tomorrow morning, as soon as your mom drops Haven off."

"Hayner—" I began.

He cut me off with a harsh kiss.

"I do love you, Seifer." He said. "Please believe that. But I can't tell you what's going on, because you'll try to stop me. I can't…I can't take that chance."

"This is bullshit." I said. "This is _bullshit_, you hear me? Complete and utter bullshit!"

"I'm sorry." He said.

"Don't." I snarled, standing. "I don't know what kind of sick game you've been playing with me all this time, Hayner March, but you take it and you shove it up your ass where it belongs!" I paused in the doorway. "You know, the only difference I can see now between you and your father is that you're taking your kid with you."

I heard him let out a strangled sob as I slammed the door shut behind me, but I shoved down any feelings of remorse I had and covered them up with anger. I'd always dealt better with anger, anyhow.

End Chapter Nine


	11. Squall Leonhart

As the sun finally peeked through my curtains to signal dawning of a new day, I heard my mom knock on the door of the apartment Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Yaoi, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Ten: Squall Leonhart

"_And even though I'm angry I can still say: I know my heart will break the day when you peel out and drive away—I can't believe this happened. And all this time I never thought that all we had would be all for naught…" –Relient K, 'Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet'_

As the sun finally peeked through my curtains to signal dawning of a new day, I heard my mom knock on the door of the apartment. Hayner answered it, and after a few quiet moments, I heard my mom start firing off worried question after worried question. Haven began to cry, but the sound faded as Hayner apparently left the apartment. Then things were quiet again, and Mom started banging her fist against my door.

"Seifer? Seifer, what's going on? Why were Hayner's eyes red? Why is he leaving and taking Haven with him? He said goodbye, for Christ's sake! Open up this door right now and answer me!" She said, her voice an odd mixture of fury and hysteria.

"I don't fucking know, Mom!" I snapped, probably even angrier than she was as I jerked the door open. "I don't know a fucking thing, because God for-fucking-bid Hayner explain any fucking thing to _me_! _I_ am obviously not fucking important enough to get any sort of God damned explanation!"

"You watch your fucking mouth when you talk to me, young man!" She yelled. "Now, tell me what you did to Hayner!"

"What did _I_ do to _him_?" I roared. "What did _I_ do to _him_?! I fucking loved him, Mom, that's what I did to him! I saved his fucking life, let him and Haven into my home, and I _loved_ him. And he just…packed his shit and left me." My voice had lowered as I spoke (I could never yell at my mom for long, even if I stayed angry with her). When I spoke next, my voice was almost a whisper. "Why don't you go ask him what he did to me?"

Then I slammed the door in her face before I could see the sympathy on it, let out an inhuman scream, and punched a fist through the wall.

I didn't cry.

o.O.o.O.o

It seemed like Hayner had dropped off of the face of the planet in the space of the five minutes between his short meeting with my mom and when Mom started banging on my door. His room was completely bare, his car was gone from the driveway, and his friends stopped coming to the restaurant. Not that they came often before he left, but they would pop in every once in a while to say hello to everyone. I never saw him anywhere around town (not that I…y'know, went looking or anything…), and people were very, very careful not to talk about him when I was within hearing distance.

It was like they had taken my rule about not mentioning Hayner's dad and applied it to me.

After the first few days, I got…well, worried. It was one thing for him to avoid me after all that had happened, but he shouldn't have just completely disappeared. And surely he would have at least brought Haven to visit, right? Despite everything he had done, even he couldn't have been that much of a bastard. He hadn't even been by to see Mom (who had told me as much herself).

Once the idea that he was in trouble had planted itself in my mind, I couldn't shake myself of it. Even the extreme anger I felt toward him couldn't outshine the worry. I justified it by telling myself that if he was in trouble, then Haven was probably in trouble, too—and I couldn't let her get hurt just because her brother was an asshole.

If I told myself that enough times, it would be true, right?

Right.

So, I started asking around. I had Rai and Fuu spread the word that I was looking for him, and asked people who knew him. I ran into (read: hunted down) Roxas, who informed me rather tersely that he was not Hayner's keeper, thank you very much, and even if he knew where Hayner was, exactly, he wouldn't tell me. He thought I wanted to beat Hayner up. Which, admittedly, part of me did. A big part of me, actually.

But the worried part of me was even bigger, by then.

I even asked that gang of kids that had put out a hit on him, but they assured me (too scared to do much else lest they angered me, I'll wager) that they hadn't seen him.

Finally, I had used up all of my resources (if you could call them that) except for one:

Squall Fucking Leonhart. (His real middle name wasn't Fucking.)

Squall (well, Leon) was an old rival of mine. And when I say old, I mean: we used to stuff sand in each other's diapers, old. People only thought I hated Hayner—I really _did_ hate Squall. The only reason people knew more about my 'rivalry' with Hayner was that Squall had attended a private school just outside of Twilight Town, which also happened to be a boarding school.

The thing about Squall, though, was that he (somehow) knew _everyone_. In spite of being a quiet, anti-social, smarmy bastard, he had more connections than _Sora_. And considering the fact that even _I _ sometimes had a difficult time disliking Sora, that's saying something.

All that having been said, I went to Ansem High (Squall for some reason was going to school to be a teacher, and was currently a teaching assistant at his Alma Mater) with my teeth clenched together and my shoulders stiff. Even though it had been a year since he had graduated (and thus a year since we had fought anywhere near his school), almost everyone that saw me scattered and watched me apprehensively as I made a beeline for the teacher's lounge (I had asked for directions from a rather skittish looking secretary).

He was alone in the room except for a scruffy looking blonde who had a toothpick sticking out of his mouth, and didn't notice me at first because he was grading papers.

I set my jaw, swallowed my pride, and went to my knees beside him.

He looked at me, and his eyebrows almost hit his hairline when he realized who I was.

"Seifer." He intoned carefully.

"I…need your…help." I forced out, suddenly wondering if Hayner was worth practically groveling to the person I hated most in the world.

"O…kay." He said.

"Do you know Hayner March?" I asked. It would be over faster if I just pushed through to the end—it was too late to back down.

"The blonde you're always squabbling with?" He asked. "Best friends with Roxas?"

Oh, right. Roxas was Squall's cousin.

"Yeah." I said.

"Roxas hasn't said anything to me about him." He said, turning back to his papers.

"Yeah, well, he's missing." I said. "Maybe Roxas knows where he is, but I don't."

"And you _want_ to know?" This time, only one eyebrow rose.

See? Smarmy bastard.

"We were dating."

He stared blankly at me.

"He just sort of…left. I didn't do anything wrong—at least, nothing that I can think of. I thought we were happy, but then he just…he just left. And he took Haven, and I haven't heard _anything_ about either of them since then. I just…want to know that…they're okay. That's all."

"You're stalking him." He drawled.

"If they're happy, I'll back off." I insisted. "But _no one_ I've talked to has heard from them, except for maybe Roxas, but he isn't talking."

One side of his mouth curled upward into the irritating smirk that always made me want to give him another scar to join the one on his face (which I had proudly and without regret given him).

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" He sneered.

"You got a problem with that?" I growled.

He held up his hands and leaned back into his chair. "You still live above your mom's restaurant, right?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay." He went back to his papers again, and I stood. That had been his way of saying he would help me, which meant that I didn't have to spend any more time in his presence. And trust me—any time in his presence is too much.

I didn't hear anything from him for three days. Finally, I found an unmarked but sealed envelope in my mailbox.

'_Roxas said that if you're worried enough to contact me, you should have this.'_

I frowned at the note, then crumpled it up, threw it away, and turned to the letter that was in the envelope with it. There were a few smudges on it that I suspected were tear marks, but I could still read it.

'_Dearest Hayner,_

_It was rather horrid of you and your bitch of a mother to hide my daughter from me, don't you think? But fortunately I have friends who think it wise to inform a man of these things. It is especially fortunate that I've gotten word of it now; I'm fighting for a promotion at my firm at the moment and my boss does love a family man. So, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones if you will bring her to me. You will have to stay with me if you want to keep contact with her, of course—if you don't, I'll make sure you never see her again._

_And before you start thinking you'll be able to keep her, consider this: I am her biological father, and a very well-respected lawyer. You're just her half-brother, with nothing more than a high school degree and a paltry job as an assistant chef at some second-rate restaurant. Between the two of us, who do you think the courts will favor? And rest assured that I __will__ find you and take you to court over this if you don't give in now. If you force me to go to a lot of trouble, I will ensure that even your friends won't be able to catch so much as a glimpse of her._

_All my love,_

_Xehanort'_

I was up and out the door before the letter had time to flutter to the ground.

End Chapter Ten.


	12. Shut Up, Asshole

I strode into the Sandlot with a purpose, and was glad to see that blonde shit and his gang were there Better Broken

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Yaoi, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Eleven: Shut Up, Asshole

"_You were my source of strength; I've traded everything that I love for this one thing (stranded in the offering). Don't leave me here like this; can't hear me scream from the abyss and now I wish for you, my desire. Don't leave me alone cause I barely see at all. Don't leave me alone. I'm falling in the black, slipping through the cracks, falling to the depths—can I ever go back? Dreaming of the way it used to be—can you hear me?" –Skillet, 'Falling Inside the Black'_

I strode into the Sandlot with a purpose, and was glad to see that blonde shit and his gang were there. They were chatting amiably, but Hayner's absence was glaringly obvious (and not just because I was in love with the ridiculous twit).

They quieted as they noticed me walking toward them, and Roxas squawked indignantly when I fisted his shirt in my hand and lifted him up as easily as if he were made of cardboard.

"What the hell, Seifer?" He said, kicking futilely at me.

"Where's Hayner?" I demanded.

"Why the hell would I tell you?" He asked. "Fucking bastard—he's better off without you!"

"He is, is he?" I asked. "Better get your facts straight, lamer. When's the last time you saw him?"

"The day he left, why?" He asked defensively, no longer struggling in favor of glaring at me suspiciously.

"So do you know where he went?" I asked.

"He moved in the Haven's dad! I saw the letter!"

"Did you _read_ it?" I asked.

"No. He told me to give it to you if you went looking for him." He said.

I dropped him roughly to the ground. "Jesus fucking Christ, chickenwuss, you have got to be the most idiotic person on the planet." I said. "Even if you didn't read that letter, what in the _hell_ makes you think he's better off with _Xehanort_?"

"Xehanort hasn't been trying to kick the shit out of him for most of his life." He snapped.

I let out a bitter laugh. "I could beat the shit out of him all day every day and he'd still be better off here than there." I said. "I dunno about you, but I'd much rather fight with someone than get molested."

Roxas shut up for a moment, eyebrows furrowing together. "Molested?" He repeated slowly.

"Hayner didn't tell you? Xehanort used to molest him back before he left. And the reason he left was because being around Hayner made him realize he was gay. He even tried to get Hayner to leave with him, the sick bastard. And no matter what that letter says, I get the feeling that he was using Haven to get to Hayner, not the other way around. Why else would he blackmail Hayner into moving in with him?"

"Blackmail?" Pence asked.

"Yeah. He told Hayner that if he wanted to be able to see Haven again, as in _ever_, he had to move in with him." I shook my head at them, a look of complete disbelief on my face. "Shit, what the fuck kind of friends are you? You haven't tried to visit him? Have you even called him since he left? E-mailed? _Anything_?"

"Of course we did." Olette said angrily. "He told us not to come."

"And that didn't strike _any_ of you as odd?" I asked.

"Hayner's always been like that." Roxas said defensively. "He's never wanted us to come over to his house, even when he was younger."

"Especially when he was younger." Pence said. "But…well, he did ask us to visit while he was living with you, sometimes…that's the only time, though."

"Because I'm the only _decent_ person he's ever lived with, you stupid shits!" I said. "His mother fucking _beat_ him, and now he's being fucking _molested_!" I shook my head, completely thrown by the stupidity of Hayner's friends. "Just give me the damn address."

"You can't just go and beat the shit out of this guy, Seifer." Roxas said. "He's a lawyer, for Christ's sake—he'll _crucify_ you."

"I'll take it if it gets Hayner away from him." I said.

"No." Pence said, suddenly grinning. "I have a better idea."

o.O.o.O.o

Pence's 'idea' was simple, but still rather brilliant, as much as I hate to say it. Maybe he was trying to make up for being such a dumb shit about his friend's…home situation.

First, we staked out Xehanort's house. Pence had his video camera with him, and taped everything. Xehanort spent most of the day away from the house—at work, presumably. Hayner spent it slinking around, cleaning up here and there, taking care of Haven, and just generally looking like a frightened victim. He never watched television, never went near the computer, and didn't even glance at the phone unless it rang. If it rang, he jumped about a mile high, checked the caller ID, and answered it depending on who was calling.

Xehanort got home at about six.

When he first got home he acted almost like Hayner was some sort of sweet little fifties-era housewife. You know, like June Cleaver(1) or something. Hayner just took it—let him kiss his cheek, hold him, ask about his day…it was utterly sickening to watch, especially because Hayner's eyes looked dead the entire time. Things got messy when Haven (who had been taking her nap) woke up.

My heart nearly broke. She started crying for me—it was just Roxas and Axel grabbing my arm that kept me from running inside and grabbing her.

Hayner went to let her out, with Xehanort trailing behind like some sort of dog. As soon as she saw her biological father, her cries escalated, only quieting after Hayner picked her up. She burrowed herself into his side and continued whimpering. Xehanort tried to take her from him, no doubt spouting something about being her dad, and she started crying again.

That's when things went to hell.

Xehanort lost his temper pretty quickly—apparently he had expected her to fall in love with him immediately, since he was her biological father. It didn't seem to occur to him that she was a baby and had already imprinted me in her mind as her dad. If he looked a little more like me it might've been easier for her, but he had silver hair, brown eyes, and sharper features (I'm gay, people—I notice these things). No chance of her mistaking us for each other.

He yelled at them. It was so loud, we wondered why none of his neighbors ever said anything (I decided it was Genovese syndrome(2)) because they had to have heard them…not to mention that it must have been going on for a while.

This was when my Hayner finally showed up and yelled back. The arguments didn't last long, though, because Xehanort grabbed Haven, saying something that immediately shut Hayner up, and then began hitting him. He put Haven back in her crib, and she started screaming again. That was another of those moments where I had to be restrained from going to help.

After the hitting had gone on for a few minutes, Xehanort dragged Hayner to his bedroom. We couldn't see what he did then (the blinds were drawn closed), but we could guess. I felt like vomiting at the thought of it—Olette actually did.

Pence told us he would take the video to the police, who should contact us pretty quickly to ask questions and stuff. So, we went home and waited.

But as it turns out, I didn't have to wait for the police to call me. About a day or two after we finished setting everything up, my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number on the Caller ID, so I frowned and picked it up.

"Seifer Almasy's cell." I said in that annoying phone voice that people get when they answer the phone.

"_Seifer?"_

My breath caught.

"Hayner?" I asked.

"_Yeah."_ He said, his voice shaky. _"I…um…I know you hate me right now, and you have every right to, but I…um…need…you to come pick me up. Please."_

"What happened to your car?" I asked even as I grabbed my wallet and car keys.

"_Xehanort sold it. I'm really sorry to bother you, but no one else is answering their phone and I…I'm really scared right now, Seifer. Please come get me."_

"Okay. I'm getting in my car right now. Where are you?" I asked.

"_I've got Haven, we're…in the park at Balamb Gardens. At the big fountain."_

"Got it. Do you want me to keep talking to you until I get there?"

"…_Sure."_

"Are you and Haven okay? Why are you scared?"

"_He hit her. Oh, God, he hit her. And I think he's going to kill me if he finds me. He was really angry this time. I thought if I came to a public place he would leave me alone."_

"Good idea. Is Haven alright?" I asked, hoping I had kept the anger out of my voice so he didn't think I was mad at him.

"_She's sleeping. She's just a little bruised, but…I came here so she'd be safe and I could stay with her. I could have taken everything he gave me as long as she was okay. But he hit her, and she stopped moving for a minute, and I was so scared…"_

"It's okay. It's going to be okay."

I pulled to a stop with a sharp screech of my tires as I arrived at the park in record time (it had only been about ten minutes, and the drive from Twilight Town to Balamb Gardens usually takes about thirty).

"Hayner?" I called, snapping my phone closed as he turned to me from where he was standing. I ran over to him as he burst into relieved tears and threw my arms around him. "It's okay, Hayner. Shh, I'm here now. You're safe."

He nodded, snaking his arms around me and holding me like a drowning man would hold a rope. "He said someone took a video to the police, and even his people couldn't get rid of it."

"That was Pence." I said. "Roxas gave me the letter, and Pence came up with this idea to tape him and take it to the police. We're putting this guy away, Hayner. He's never coming near you or Haven again."

"I'm so glad you're not angry with me." He said.

"No, I understand why you left." I said, pulling away. "I just…don't understand why you didn't tell me what was going on. I could've helped, Hayner."

"You would've tried, but…without that tape, I don't think we could've done anything." He said. "He's an asshole, but he's a damn good lawyer."

"And…why'd you sleep with me?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at me.

He blushed and looked down at his feet. "I wanted to know what it felt like with _you_…before I had to go to him." He said softly, glancing up at me.

I stared at him for a moment, then laughed. "Shit, we sound like women, don't we?" I put an arm around him and kissed his forehead. "C'mon, let's go home."

He nodded again, smiling at me as he picked Haven up. She stirred and her eyes fluttered open.

"Mama?" She yawned, rubbing her eyes. Then she cringed and looked around warily for a moment before her eyes landed on me and widened. "Daddy!"

She tried to jump at me, arms held out insistently until I took her from Hayner. She immediately burrowed her face in my shoulder, holding me as tightly as Hayner had earlier.

It was a good feeling.

But then…

Well, you know that old saying: 'bad things happen in threes?' It's true.

First, Hayner slept with me and then left with no explanation.

Second, I found out that he'd left because of that son of a bitch Xehanort.

Third, that son of a bitch Xehanort fucking ran his car into mine.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed, handing Haven to Hayner and pushing both of them behind me. "That was my _car_, you mother fucking asshole!"

Xehanort stumbled out of his car, a crazed look in his eyes that made me take a step back. "I…am going to kill all of you!" He said, brandishing a knife at me. He almost seemed drunk, the way he was swaying back and forth. "You've ruined everything! _Everything_!"

"You're the one that dragged us into this, you sick freak." I spat, watching him carefully.

He screamed and ran forward, stabbing down at me, but it was damn easy to take the knife from him and punch him in the stomach. I tossed the knife away, almost wishing he had a gun or something, to make this confrontation a little less anticlimactic.

"Are you fucking drunk?" I asked as he pushed himself up, stuffing my hands in my pockets and regarding him disdainfully. "Damn, you're pathetic. I sure as hell hope you're a better lawyer than you are a fighter, 'cause I'd hate for you to make this too easy on us."

"You little shit!" He said, coming at me again.

I kicked him, not even bothering to take my hands out of my pockets. "I'm not a shit." I said with a smirk, which widened as I heard sirens. "I'm a bastard."

"He's not little, either." Hayner added.

I laughed, and kicked Xehanort back down as he tried to stand up again. "Stay down, jackass." I said as the police pulled up.

"Xehanort Desalmado, you are under arrest for the sexual assault and rape of Hayner March!" One of the cops said as they approached us, guns drawn.

"You might want to add attempted murder to that." Hayner said with a scowl. "The knife's over there."

"And the fucker blew up my car." I said.

The cop who had spoken glanced at us curiously, then returned his attention to Xehanort, who was being handcuffed. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer—"

"I know my fucking rights!" Xehanort hissed, launching himself at the speaking officer as the other officer yanked him up.

"Let it be known that the accused knows his rights, yo." The speaking officer said lackadaisically as the other officer stopped Xehanort mid-lunge. "And I do believe that that's attempted assault of an officer. Want to add anything else to this list, Xehanort old buddy?"

Xehanort snarled at him, but held his tongue.

"Let's go catch a bus." I said with a forlorn look at my car.

"I'll get you for this!" Xehanort spoke up again as the officers began leading him away.

"Shut up, assho'!" Haven said, sticking her tongue out at him and blowing a raspberry.

We all laughed.

End Chapter Eleven


	13. After Many Trials and Tribulations

"Please put your left hand on the Bible **Better Broken**

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Yaoi, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Chapter Twelve: After Many Trials and Tribulations… "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye…" –Queen, 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

"Please put your left hand on the Bible. Do you solemnly swear that the evidence that you give to the court will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The bailiff asked as I stood in the witness hand.

"I do." I said, sitting when they motioned that I could do so.

"Please state your full name for the benefit of the court." Xigbar Bersagliere (the prosecutor) said.

"Seifer Warren Almasy." I said, leaning back in my chair.

"When is the first time that you met the defendant, Xehanort Desalmado?" He asked.

"I've never formally met him." I said. "But the first time I saw him was about three years ago."

"When you first saw him, what was his relationship with Mr. March?"

"He was dating Hayner's mom."

"How did their relationship progress?"

I shrugged. "Not much, as far as I know. Hayner didn't hang around his house much. But…"

"But…?"

"But then one day, a few weeks before graduation I found Hayner in the bathroom and he told me that his mom was really mad at him."

"Why was she mad at him?"

"Because Xehanort told her that Hayner made him realize he was gay."

"And how did he make Xehanort realize this?"

"Xehanort had been molesting him."

The crowd began murmuring, and I saw Hayner shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"That's what Hayner told you?"

"Not exactly. I think his words were that Xehanort was touching him. Everywhere."

Xigbar nodded, sitting on his table. "Continue."

"After that, Xehanort left. Hayner's mom turned up pregnant, and died in childbirth with Haven March. Due to…unrelated incidences, they moved in with me, and a few months after that Hayner and I started dating. Then, a few more months later, Hayner tells me he's taking Haven and leaving, and he's sorry but he can't tell me why or where he's going."

"Where did he go?"

"He moved in with Xehanort."

"Why?"

"Because of the letter that I gave you."

"The prosecution would like enter this letter as evidence." Xigbar held up the letter.

The judge nodded.

"Mr. Almasy, would you please read the letter to us?"

I did.

"What did you do after you read this letter, Mr. Almasy?" Xigbar asked.

"I went to find Hayner's friends. I was hoping they could tell me where Xehanort lived." I said.

"What were your intentions?" He asked.

"I intended to kick the shit out of him." I said.

"But you didn't."

"Objection. Leading the witness." Xehanort spoke up.

"Objection sustained. Please only ask questions, Mr. Bersagliere." Ansem said.

"Why didn't you beat him up, Mr. Almasy?" Xigbar asked without skipping a beat.

"Pence talked me out of it. He suggested that we go tape them instead, so that we would have proof of what a bastard Xehanort is."

"The prosecution submits the tape as evidence." Xigbar said.

"Objection!" Xehanort said. "That tape was made illegally and cannot be submitted as evidence!"

"Counselor?" Ansem looked at Xigbar.

"As if…I mean, I have no knowledge of how the tape was made, Your Honor." Xigbar shrugged. "However, it came into the hands of the police and myself under perfectly legal terms, and as such can be used as evidence just as…say, an illegally made pornography could."

"Objection overruled." Ansem said with a quick clap of his gavel. "The court accepts the tape into evidence."

I blocked out most of the next hour, as Xigbar made the court watch the tape and described the events taking place. I had seen it firsthand and had no desire to watch or hear any more about it.

"Mr. Almasy, what did you do after making this tape?" Xigbar asked.

"Against my will and better judgement, I went home and waited for the police to call me."

"Why?"

"I was told that breaking into the defendant's house and beating the crap out of him would only strengthen his case and might give him a chance to go free and harass Hayner and Haven some more." I said, scowling deeply at the thought.

"And what about the events two days later, on April the fifth?" He asked.

"Hayner called asking me to pick him up from the park because someone had turned a tape in to the police that pissed Xehanort off, and he was afraid Xehanort was going to kill him." I said, narrowing my eyes at Xehanort. "He said Xehanort had hit Haven so hard she'd stopped moving for a moment. There are pictures of both of them that the hospital took when I took them there later that day."

"The prosecution submits the hospital photographs as evidence." Xigbar said, turning back to me after Ansem nodded his consent. "Did you go to the park?"

"Obviously."

"What happened?" He seemed more amused than offended by my sarcasm.

"I found Hayner, picked up Haven to take them home, and then Xehanort ran into my fucking car." I said.

"Pictures of Mr. Almasy's car, as well as the defendant's, will be submitted as evidence." Xigbar said quickly. "Continue, please, Mr. Almasy."

"Well then he comes stumbling out of his car, waving this knife around like he's drunk or crazy or something—and we know, man, you're submitting the knife as evidence—" A few people laughed, Xigbar himself included. "Anyhow, he waves the knife at us and says he's gonna kill us because we've ruined everything, and some banter is exchanged before he finally tries to stab me, and I get the knife away from him, throw it away, and punch him in the face. Then I kicked him, and the cops got there a few seconds after that and arrested him."

Xigbar nodded. "One last question, Mr. Almasy."

"Shoot."

"You said that Mr. March called you because he was 'afraid.' Now you've known him for…"

"Sixteen years." I supplied.

"Right. In that time, has he ever struck you as a person who is easily frightened?"

"Hayner's probably the bravest person I know, and I know a _lot_ of brave people." I said, hiding a smirk when I saw Hayner blush at my statement.

"No further questions, Your Honor." Xigbar said with a slight bow to the judge, then sat down.

"Mr. Desalmado, your witness." The judge said.

"Thank you, Your Honor." Xehanort said, standing and smiling at me with a sort of sickly sweetness that made me want to punch him (of course, just looking at him made me want to punch him regardless of his expression, so…). "Mr. Almasy, you said that you took Mr. March to the hospital after I was arrested?"

"Yes."

"About how long after, would you say?"

"Probably…an hour or so? Someone wrecked my car, so it took a while." I said, returning his smile with an acidic smile of my own.

"Mhm." Xehanort ignored my latter comment, looking thoughtful. "Now, let me ask you this: you and Mr. March began dating…how long ago?"

"A year ago next Monday." I said, frowning.

"But before that you didn't get along well at all, correct?"

"We hated each other for about…oh, eleven or twelve of the sixteen years we've known each other, yeah."

"And many of your fights were quite physical, yes?"

"We beat the shit out of each other a lot." I said carefully.

"So…you could very easily have caused the injuries shown in those pictures, wouldn't you say?" He asked, his smile widening nastily.

I gave him a dry look. "No, I couldn't have."

"But you said you fought for a very large portion of the time you've known each other, and you waited at least an hour to take him to the hospital after leaving my company. I don't think I would be remiss to think that you could very easily have lost your temper with him on your way home and fallen back into old habits."

"Actually you would."

"Why?" He asked.

"Because only a few of the bruises Hayner had at the hospital were from that day. Most of them were several days old, and he stayed at your house for a month without any contact from anyone except for you and Haven. So unless Haven beat him up or he suddenly became…oh, a hundred times clumsier than he's ever been, then no, I didn't cause any of the bruising on him. And let me tell you: if I tried to beat Hayner up with Haven around, he would have kicked my ass so hard I would still be in the hospital."

"And yet he didn't fight back against _me_? That is highly suspect, Mr. Almasy."

"No, actually, it's not at all suspect." I bit out.

"Why not?" Ansem asked before Xehanort could say anything else.

"Because he—"

"Your Honor, I don't think this is relevant to the case." Xehanort interrupted.

"It's _perfectly_ relevant to the case because you're questioning my integrity and the integrity of my boyfriend, so shut the fuck up and let me answer the judge's question!" I snapped.

"Your Honor…" Xehanort began.

"Actually, I quite agree." Ansem said with a small smile. "Do shut up and let him answer, counselor."

I heard a few muffled laughs pass through the courtroom at the expression on Xehanort's face at that moment.

"There are several differences between Hayner's relationship with me and Hayner's relationship with the defendant, Your Honor." I said, turning to face him. "The biggest difference is that my relationship with Hayner has always been a give and get kind of thing. When we were kids, we gave friendship and got it back. When we hated each other, we gave and got punches. And now, as sappy as it is, we give and get love."

A few girls cooed. I tried to ignore then, but ended up glaring at them for a moment, which apparently gave them cause to giggle at me. Stupid fucking gender…!

"Now, if I had tried, for whatever reason, to beat Hayner up during the time between Xehanort getting arrested and the time I took him to the hospital, Hayner would have fought back. Give and get. Hayner would have fought even harder because Haven was around, and when Hayner feels like he's protecting someone he fights at least ten times harder than he usually does—and I know from personal experience that he usually fights pretty damn hard."

"And why wouldn't he have fought Mr. Desalmado if he felt Haven was in danger?" Ansem asked.

"When he really felt like Haven was in danger, Hayner left. He didn't leave Xehanort until then, remember? But if he had fought Xehanort before then, or fought back after she got hurt instead of just leaving, he was afraid that Xehanort was going to take her from him. That's the whole reason he moved in with Xehanort in the first place—so that he could stay with Haven. It says right in the letter that if Hayner didn't move in with Xehanort, he would never be allowed to see Haven again. And it also says that if Hayner tried to take the matter to court, Xehanort would win and, again, ensure that Hayner never got to see Haven again. Hayner told me himself that as long as Haven was okay, he would have taken any shit Xehanort gave him so that he could stay with her. Haven is _the most_ important thing in Hayner's life, and I think this entire debacle is a testament to that. And let me tell you: if Xehanort tried to pull any of the crap he gave Hayner now that Haven is out of harm's way, you can be damn sure that Hayner would kick the ever-loving shit out of him."

"Hear, hear!" Dad yelled, he and several other members of the audience clapping.

"No further questions, Your Honor." Xehanort muttered, glaring at me.

"You are dismissed, Mr. Almasy." Ansem said.

I stood, then paused halfway out of the witness stand.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. There's one other big difference between our relationships with Hayner, Xehanort." I said, sneering at him. "When he screams your name, it's from fear. When he screams mine, it's from pure, unadulterated pleasure."

The courtroom erupted with noise, most notably a series of catcalls and sharp whistles from various friends and family members.

"Order! Order!" Ansem shouted, with several loud bangs from his gavel. "Mr. Almasy, go sit down before you are held in contempt!"

I nodded and sank in my seat next to Hayner as easily as if I'd never said anything at all except for the huge grin on my face. I slid an arm around his shoulder, smirked at Xehanort, and dropped a taunting kiss on Hayner's blushing cheek.

o.O.o.O.o

"I cannot _believe_ you said that!" Hayner hissed as we waited for the jury to get back with its verdict.

"I can." Mom giggled. "I'm afraid Seifer didn't inherit any sort of brain-to-mouth filter. He's always said whatever comes to mind."

"Besides, it was fucking hilarious!" Dad added, slapping me on the back proudly.

People always wonder how I turned out the way I did…until they meet my parents.

"And the look on Xehanort's face…" Axel sniggered.

"Priceless." Fuu agreed with that tiny smirk of hers.

Hayner sighed and rolled his eyes, but leaned into me when I wrapped my arms around him. "I suppose I should've known what I was getting myself into when I agreed to date you."

"Considering the fact that we've known each other since preschool…yeah, you probably should have." I said. "Besides, it's all your fault for being so damn cute when you're flustered."

He frowned at me. "I'm beginning to regret desensitizing you to PDA." He decided.

"Which only happened because you thought _I_ was cute when I was flustered and wanted to get me like that as often as possible." I pointed out.

"Hmph." He snorted.

"So _that's_ why you used to whisper in his ear all the time!" Axel said. "You were whispering dirty stuff to get him to blush!"

"It's the same thing you do to Roxas." Hayner said. "The only difference is that he hasn't gotten used to it."

"Or he plays along so Axel will sex him up." Riku laughed.

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed, elbowing him.

Riku opened his mouth to say something else (which was beyond perverse, if the look on his face was anything to go by), but was cut off as the jury was led back into the room.

Everyone went back to their seats with surprisingly little prompting from Ansem, who turned to look at the jury with a solemn expression on his face.

"Has the jury come to a decision?" He asked.

"We have, Your Honor." The foreman said, nodding and looking down at a piece of paper.

"For the charge of first-degree sexual assault, how does the jury find?"

"We the jury find Xehanort Desalmado guilty of first-degree sexual assault and recommend the full sixty years' incarceration without parole as punishment."

Cheers went up through the place so loud that we hardly heard the jury finding Xehanort guilty of all the other charges. We wouldn't have care if sexual assault was the only thing he was found guilty of—he was at least getting put away for _something_. Hayner kissed me happily and I kissed back with just as much enthusiasm, the cheers intensifying around us.

We were still celebrating as they dragged Xehanort away, screaming and kicking all the way.

"Free dinner at my place!" Mom yelled, and we celebrated all the way to the restaurant, and all through the night.

Well, most people did. Dad took Haven home with him about an hour or two into the party, and Hayner and I snuck upstairs at about midnight to do some private 'celebrating' of our own.

I spent all night making sure he would _never_ be able to remember what Xehanort felt like.

The End


	14. Epilogue: Something Like

"…And then you just kick him right in the fucking nuts **Better Broken**

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Yaoi, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

This chapter is dedicated to: Akyn, who gave me the idea for the scene! X33 Thanks bunches! It's also dedicated to everyone else, who gave me the motivation to continue this fic! Love you guys! Hope you enjoy(ed)!

Epilogue: …Happily Ever After

"_I'm a grown man, but as strong as I am, well sometimes it's hard to believe how one little girl with little blonde curls can totally terrify me. If you were to ask, my wife would just laugh—she'd say, "I know all about men; and how tough little boys grow up to be Dads, they turn into big babies again." –Gary Allan, 'Tough Little Boys'_

"…And then you just kick him right in the fucking nuts!" I said.

"Watch your damn language, Seifer!" Hayner scolded as he walked out of the kitchen, slipping his apron off. "You know she'll repeat you!"

"Like this, Daddy?" I ignored Hayner in favor watching a now five year old Haven follow my instructions on the invisible target in front of her.

"That's exactly right, chickadee!" I said, picking her up and twirling her around proudly.

"Don't you ignore me, Seifer Almasy." Hayner swatted my ass with his apron, frowning at me.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so fucking boring…" I teased, smirking at him.

"Yeah, Mommy, maybe if you weren't so fucking boring." Haven agreed, giggling.

"See? Don't repeat the bad words Daddy says, Haven, he's setting a bad example." Hayner said, wagging a finger at her.

"You're setting a bad 'xample, Daddy." Haven informed me gravely.

"Yeah, I know." I laughed, transferring her to one arm so I could wrap the other around Hayner. "And your mommy loves me for it."

Haven giggled again as Hayner rolled his eyes and pretended to give me the cold shoulder.

And don't worry, we had eventually straightened Haven out about the whole Hayner-isn't-actually-you're-mommy issue. Now she (and I) just called him that to tease him—in private, mostly. In public she called him Pop-Pop.

"Mommy's so silly." Haven said, wriggling until I set her down and fixing me with a suspicious glare. "Daddy, you promise if I kick him there, that bully will leave me alone?"

"I _promise_." I said, chuckling.

"I still don't see how comes he's gotta make fun of my beanie, anyhow! You gave it to me, Daddy, and Mommy says I look 'dorable in it!" She continued, tugging at the side of the beanie I'd given her—the one I had once been infamous for wearing (among the many other things I was infamous for).

"You do! Almost as cute as Daddy was when he used to wear it." He winked at me flirtatiously.

"I _knew_ you liked it." I said smugly, then made a shooing motion at Haven. "Now go get your shoes on, chickadee. Your bus will be here soon."

"Do I _have_ to go to school?" She whined, more on principle than anything else—she actually quite enjoyed school.

"If you don't, that bully will think you're scared and running away." Hayner said.

"Nuh-uh!" She said. "I ain't scared of _nothin_', Mommy!" She started running back to her room, calling over her shoulder. "I'm gonna kick him so hard _he'll_ be runnin' scared!"

"I'm sure he will." I snickered, only feeling a little bad for instigating the revenge my daughter was about to reap.

"Did you really tell her to kick some poor boy in the balls?" Hayner asked, though he sounded more amused than upset.

"Nobody makes fun of our baby and gets away with it." I said matter-of-factly.

"Fine." He said. "But _I_ get to teach her how to break his nose."

I laughed. "Deal."

"Okay, Daddy! I'm ready!" Haven said as she ran back into the room, her tiny book bag slung over her shoulder. "Hurry or we'll be late!"

"Alright, alright, come on." I said, picking her up again and setting her up on my shoulders as Hayner stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed after us.

"Bye, Gramma!" She waved cheerfully at Mom, who smiled and blew a kiss at her but couldn't do much more since she was overseeing one of the new cooks. "Bye, old man!"

"'M not old!" Dad said, pretending to scowl at her.

She giggled. "See you after school, Pappy!"

"Don't you threaten me, you little hooligan!" Dad said, then grabbed his nightstick and kissed Mom's cheek. "The little terror's said goodbye, now—I'm off to work!"

"Bye, sweetie." Mom said distractedly. "Don't forget your lunch."

Dad said something else, but I didn't catch it as we left the building and walked up to the edge of the road, where the bus was already waiting for us.

"Bye, Daddy!" She said, kissing my cheek as I set her down. Then she hugged Hayner's legs. "Bye, Pop-Pop! See you after school!"

"Bye, chickadee." I said, ruffling the beanie.

"Be good." Hayner added.

"C'mon, Haven! Let's go!" A little blonde girl yelled impatiently out of one of the windows.

"Coming, Rikku! And guess what? Daddy showed me how we can get that bully to back off!" Haven exclaimed, scrambling up the steps with one last little wave at Hayner and me.

Hayner put his head on my shoulder as the bus drove away, sniffling. "One day I won't cry when she gets on the bus."

"It's only her second day." I said, hoping my voice didn't sound as choked up as I felt. "We'll get used to it…eventually."

"The apartment's so quiet with her gone…I'll have to start working regularly again." Hayner decided. He usually only worked at the restaurant when we really needed him to so that he could spend as much time as possible with Haven.

Neither of us really _needed_ to work much anymore, since suing Xehanort for emotional trauma on the three of us had put in quite a good position financially, but I was too easily bored to stop working and Hayner actually enjoyed working at the restaurant.

"Actually, I was thinking about that." I said. "What do you think about adopting another one? I went by the orphanage the other day and saw a cute little toddler…stopped by and picked up some papers…"

"Without talking to me first?" He asked, frowning. "Dammit, Seifer—"

"It's not like I started actually _doing_ anything." I said defensively. "Don't get yourself so wound up, lamer! It was just a thought."

"Don't call me a lamer, shit head!" He retorted. "And fine, it's a good fucking idea!"

"I'll call you whatever I want!" I said as we walked inside, ignoring the rolling eyes of the people in the kitchen. "And I know it's a good idea, because _I_ thought of it!"

"You just think you're so smart, don't you?" He scoffed as we headed back upstairs.

"Obviously not, since I'm living with _you_." I retorted, then grunted as he pushed me up against the wall.

We glared at each other for a moment, the light flush on Hayner's cheek contradicting the glint in his eyes.

"Fuck it." He said, and pulled me into a rough kiss, yanking me off the wall and toward our bedroom.

Maybe to some it wasn't anything like happily ever after, but it was pretty fucking close for us.

The End


	15. Second Epilogue: History Repeats Itself

"Ugh **Better Broken**

**By**: Ellipsis the Great

**DISCLAIMER:** Kingdom Hearts and everything affiliated with it belongs to SquareEnix and Disney. All I own is the plot…

**Summary:** Sometimes, rules aren't meant to be followed, and promises shouldn't be kept. Seiner.

**Rated:** M.

**Spoilers:** None that I know of…

**Warnings:** Yaoi, a little angst (obviously), and I suppose I should point out that this is AU…

Second Epilogue: History Repeats Itself

"I hate everything about you, why do I love you? You hate everything about me, why do you love me?" –Three Days Grace, 'I Hate Everything About You'

"Ugh! I can't believe he _said_ that!" Haven screeched as she stormed past the kitchen where Hayner and I had been talking.

"What happened?" I asked, sticking my head out of the doorway as her bedroom door slammed shut.

"Girl problems?" Hayner suggested.

I turned my gaze on Vaan, our adopted son. "What's got her so upset?"

Vaan rolled his eyes. "Some idiot in her shop class told her she'd never get a boyfriend because she's practically a boy. I think he called her a lesbian, too, but I haven't been able to get the whole story out of her."

"I didn't think that bothered her any." I said with a slight frown, hoping that our decision to raise her as a tomboy (which wasn't entirely our fault, mind you) hadn't…I dunno, emotionally impaired her or what the fuck ever.

"It doesn't, except that she had a crush on him." He said. "She told him about it—that's why he said what he did."

Hayner and I exchanged a scowl.

"Why didn't she just sock the bastard?" Hayner asked.

"She says that would be proving him right." Vaan shrugged.

I snorted. "I'll go talk to her."

Vaan grimaced. "Don't you think you should send Gramma?"

"She's having boy problems." I said. "_I'm_ a boy."

"If you think it'll help, Dad." He said, holding up his hands.

I made a face at him, then went back to my now teenaged daughter's room, knocking lightly on the door after hearing a few sniffles from the other side.

"Come in." Came her tearful voice.

"Hey, chickadee." I said, slipping in with only a brief glance. Gone were the teddy bears and soccer balls of her youth—now the room had a small vanity and a large punching bag.

I sat beside her on the bed. At one point, soothing a crying girl would have scared the shit out of me (hell, soothing a crying _Hayner_ used to scare the shit out of me), but I'd gotten pretty good at it over the years if I do say so myself. And I do, so shut the fuck up. I put a hand on her back (she was lying on her stomach with her face in her pillows). "Vaan told us what happened. You okay?"

She sat up and threw her arms around me with renewed sobs. "Oh, Daddy, it was terrible! He called his friends over and…and laughed at me, and…I just wish…I just wish I'd never set eyes on Seymour Guado at all!"

"Want me to beat him up for you?" I offered even as I wrapped my arms around her and petted her hair gently.

"Would you?" She asked, pulling away and looking up at me hopefully.

I laughed, ruffling her hair. Well, her beanie. She was still wearing the old thing—I don't know how it hadn't fallen apart yet.

"You're just going to have to prove him wrong, chickadee." I said. "Find someone who will go out with you for _you_, yeah? Boy or girl—you know we'll support you no matter what."

"I like _boys_, Daddy." She insisted, giggling a little. "But thanks."

"That's what I'm here for." I said as I hugged her again.

"It's not even what he said that really bothered me." She leaned into me. "But did he have to bring his friends into it?"

"You're right. He didn't have to be such a jerk." I said. "And when it's coming from _me_, you know he went too far."

She sighed, then turned her 'you know you're gonna give me whatever I ask for so just don't argue' smile on me. "You _sure_ you can't beat him up for me, Daddy?" She asked sweetly.

"No, no, I'd probably get arrested and sent to jail, and there would be _far_ too much paperwork." I chuckled, then gave her a sly grin. "But I can still put the fear of God into him."

Her grin widened.

o.O.o.O.o

"Dude, isn't that Seifer Almasy?" I heard someone whisper as I stalked down the halls of Twilight High School.

"It is! And he looks _angry_!"

"I heard he once beat up an entire street gang with his bare hands!" Someone said.

"I heard they had guns and knives!" Some other kid added. "They kept shooting and stabbing but he didn't even pass out until he'd kicked all their asses!"

"What's he doing here, man? Especially looking _that_ mad?"

"I dunno, but let's keep out of his way! I don't want those fists turning on _me_, that's for sure!"

I smirked rather maliciously—so my reputation preceded me even this many years since my street fighting days.

I opened the door to shop class with more self-control than I usually had, though still with enough force to have every student give me an alarmed look. Even the teacher, a leviathan of a man named Lexaeus something-or-other had an eyebrow cocked at me.

"I'm looking for Seymour Guado." I said.

Lexaeus nodded and pointed at a boy with long blue hair in some weird-ass hairstyle that made me think he'd called Haven a lesbian because he was denying being gay himself.

I gave him a long hard look, inwardly cackling with glee when his eyes widened, and finally nodded. "Alright." I said, then turned and left the classroom, shutting the door behind myself with a soft slam and listening to hear the aftermath of my sudden intrusion.

"W-who was that?" I heard someone (presumably Seymour) gulp.

"That was Seifer Almasy." Lexaeus said. "Haven's father."

"Holy _shit_, that was your _dad_?" Seymour squeaked.

"Language." Lexaeus muttered.

"Yeah, isn't he a sweetie?" Haven giggled, ignoring Lexaeus' comment. "He said he wasn't going to beat you up for me, but I guess he must have changed his mind!"

"D'you…still want to go out?" Seymour asked, causing me to scowl.

Haven laughed again. "I told you yesterday that I don't like pussy, Seymour."

"Oooh." People around the room chanted, stifling snickers.

"Alright, class, let's get back to actually _learning_ now." Lexaeus said, but was cut off by whatever else he was about to say when the bell rang. "Never mind. Read pages twenty to thirty for homework—class dismissed."

Haven was the first one out the door, throwing her arms around me with a delighted squeal. "I love you, Daddy, thank you!"

"No problem, chickadee." I said. "You want to go get some ice cream?"

"Daddy, I still have another class to go to." She said.

"How many days have you missed?" I asked.

"None, silly!"

"Then one day won't hurt. C'mon."

"Hey, Haven!"

We turned to see a boy with long black hair that was partway tied up by a bandana. He was scowling, but a light blush stained his tanned cheeks.

"Jecht." Haven said coldly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Who're you?" I asked.

"That's Jecht, Daddy. The boy I told you about." She whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

Ooh, right. Jecht was the bully from Kindergarten who had apparently started a life-long rivalry with her after she kneed him in the balls.

"What do you want, Jecht?" She demanded.

"D'you…wanna go see that new martial arts movie after school?" He asked nervously, his blush deepening.

Haven blinked, and then her cheeks turned a dark red color that was half from anger and half from embarrassment. "I already know I'm not dating material, Jecht, you don't have to rub it in!" She half-sobbed. "Fucking jerk!"

"I wasn't trying to rub it in, you stupid girl!" He snapped. "I'm _seriously_ asking you out! God!"

"O…oh." She said softly.

"So d'you wanna go or not?" He asked.

She looked at me, and I just shrugged.

"I'm still dating my rival." I reminded her. "Go on, chickadee."

She flushed again, then looked back at Jecht with a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Okay. But any snarky comments from you and I'll ground you again." She said as she walked over to where he was.

"Dodging you is half the fun." He said, a goofy grin spreading across his face.

She giggled, then grinned at him. "Race you to our next class?"

He nodded vigorously, then took off without any other warning.

"Cheater! Get back here, lamer!" She yelled, racing after him with a distracted, "Bye, Daddy!" thrown over her shoulder at me.

"Bye." I called back halfheartedly. I knew I'd told her to find someone who would like her for who she was, but…God damn it, I didn't mean right away! I meant…like…ten or fifteen years from now, when I'd gotten used to the idea of Hayner and I not being the only important men in her life. With a sigh, I flipped open my cell phone.

"Hayner, we need to start thinking of good 'You hurt my daughter and I'll kill you' threats…"

The End…………Again!

A/N: No, really, I mean it this time! XD I was totally ready to let this story go, and then Ralph attacked me with this idea. Bastard. Part of it is actually based off of something that happened to my mom—this guy said something really rude to her while she used to be a secretary at a school, so my dad went and asked the teacher who he was, then glared at him for a moment, said 'thank you' and left. XDDDD The guy totally freaked out, and the teacher was like 'I dunno what you did to Mrs. (Insert Last Name Here), but you'd better apologize.' X33 I love my dad so much. But I can never tell him I used the story in a yaoi. He would spontaneously combust and die, I kid you not. Oh, well…so…yeah, love you guys! No responses this time cuz I'm lazy, although I will say to those who don't know that to PM (Private Message) someone, you go to their profile and click on 'send message.' You do have to have an actual account to do it, though. But I think all the people who asked were members, so…whatever. Love you guys, and thanks for EVERYTHING! :loves you forever: See ya next! –EtheG 


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